Clinging to Memories
by JayLiyah
Summary: After a huge fight, a broken relationship hangs in the balance. To change their circumstances, they must reconcile their differences before it's too late. Or will the memories be enough to keep them together?[SquallRinoa]Complete [Bonus chap up]
1. Heartbreak

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. Those rights belong to the company Squaresoft/Square-Enix alone.

_**(Re-edited and slight changes were fixed, also removed lyrics from this chapter)**_

**Clinging to memories**

**Chapter 1 **

by: Jayliyah

* * *

The alarm clock shrilled with a high pitch, shattering the dreams of one disgruntled young woman, who jumped up with a start and was questioning why Hyne seemed to have it in for her this morning. Taking the time to rub her eyes, she then took a glance at the time.

8:00 am.

Who in their right mind gets up at this time anyways? Not only that, but she sure as hell was certain she didn't set it that way either. Pursing her lips, she made a mental note to kill the two other occupants that were somewhere downstairs, probably drowning out the rest of the world in their beds.

The damned object that was still ringing, was thrown to the wall with a great amount of force putting an end to its tyranny.

With a satisfied smirk, the young lady decided she might as well get up, even if it was way too early. It's not like she could go back to sleep anyway… not after the night she had.

Although it took some effort, she eventually managed to make her way to the small bathroom, where she splashed some water on her pale, rosy complexion, dried it off with a towel and stared into her reflection in the mirror. Her straight, long dark hair with gold highlights was at the moment in a messy state, giving her the appearance of Frankenstein's wife.

Well, at least something to that extent.

Cringing at her "makeover", she fixed it back into place then proceeded to take a nice, long hot shower.

A few minutes later, the brunette emerged fully dressed, wearing her favorite outfit and looking like her usual self. With nothing else to do at the moment, she sat down on her bed which was covered in a light blue spread, and thought back to her restless state last night and the dreams she had.

Just the reminder of what she had seen and experienced, brought back the misery and the pain that kept growing inside of her. Not to mention, the emptiness that now occupied where her heart used to be.

The woman wrapped her arms around her knees, feeling the rush of melancholy that again swarmed her as she tried to force the tears back. What she longed for the most was the one person she knew who could make her whole… with just a simple touch, a look and the feeling that only he could give when she was near him.

She only wished she could take back her actions and rectify the damage, but it was too late for that.

Just then, a persistent knocking on the door startled her. With the utmost haste, she wiped her tear-stained cheeks and straightened her skirt, not wanting her friends to see her like this and start worrying about her again. A part of her wanted to be left alone in peace so at first, she pretended as if she didn't hear.

The knocking only increased each time as she stood there, refusing to move.

She sighed, feeling weary. All this emotional pain took a toll on her.

"Zone, I... really don't feel like talking right now."

But when it didn't seem like he wouldn't give up, she rolled her eyes in annoyance and marched over to the door, preparing to give that boy a piece of her mind.

"Zone! I said I-"

She didn't get to finish that sentence. She _couldn't._ Not when she finally had a chance to see who was standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened and shock was written all over her face.

"Rinoa..."

It was a dream, that's what it was. That was the only explanation, right? Because the person in front of her couldn't be...

"...Squall..."

* * *

**One day ago...**

The gray clouds looming over the horizon in the distance managed to create an eerie atmosphere over the peaceful Balamb. At times, the sound of thunder could be heard from miles away – its deafening crack threatened to disrupt the tranquility. Some could take it as a warning, perhaps a sign of impending doom that catastrophe was about to strike when people seem to least expect it, or others may brush it off as simply a part of nature running its course. Little did the inhabitants know... that a storm was swiftly on the rise...

--------------------------------------------

Rinoa Heartilly perched on Squall's bed in his dorm quarters, thinking of the recent events that had brought her to this point. Sighing, she grasped the two rings on her chain which always gave her a small sense of comfort and strength. With nothing else to do, she took a swift glance of the room where she's spent most of her time lately. It still amazed her how not one book or even an article of clothing was out of place in his neat, yet humble abode. But then again, it shouldn't be surprising by now that Squall was so organized. It almost put her own bedroom back in Deling to shame. Smiling at this, she allowed herself to become distracted by memories of the past so that her real purpose would be forgotten – if only for a little while.

The raven-haired sorceress dreaded the inevitable conversation she was about to have with her lover, but also knew that it couldn't be withheld any longer. Her feelings were about to burst, the pain and loneliness threatened to overwhelm her body, but she had to hold it together.

_After all we've been through together, this is what it comes down to. _

The familiar 'swish' of the key card a few minutes later, managed to shake her out of her thoughts. Rinoa struggled upward, took a deep breath and walked to the living room.

The complications were only about to start.

Squall Leonhart trudged into his room, after successfully completing another long day's work of SeeD business. His heavy leather-clad boots stomped over to his couch where he was about to remove his black fur-lined jacket and take a much-needed rest, when he looked up and noticed his beautiful girlfriend standing in front of him. He wasn't expecting an appearance from her, especially since his workload increased and he's had to pull several all-nighters. A warm feeling spread within him as he scanned her over, just realizing that this is the first time he's seen her in a while.

_Hyne... I've really missed her… _Squall realized. All of a sudden, he felt the urge to grab her and lose himself in her sweet, heavenly embrace.

As she watched her lion striding towards her, a peaceful, rare smile on his normally stoic face, Rinoa knew that after he heard what she had to say, it would disappear like it never happened.

_Just like before we met..._ Rinoa realized with a pang. Squall hugged his girlfriend with affection, gathering her into his arms.

"Hey, Rin." He whispered in her ear, ending with a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Holding on to his waist, she managed to croak out, "Hey, Squall..."

He relinquished his grip on her to gaze into her mocha-colored eyes, concern etched onto his handsome features. "Rinoa... what's wrong?"

She stiffened up. _Damn it, he's onto me!_ Rinoa thought with a panic. She averted her eyes and tried to stall.

"U-um... what do you mean?"

Squall cupped her chin with his hand and lifted her face up to his, studying her angelic features close up. It was almost as if he was looking for the truth underneath the surface. It shouldn't be that obvious... right?

Not even Squall Leonhart could be excellent at reading people that well – although, he's changed so much in the past few months following Ultimecia's defeat, and they have gotten a lot closer since then. Ha, who was she fooling? Scrutiny was probably a prerequisite for SeeDs in training anyway, and if that was the case, it would be a cinch for the famed Commander of Balamb Garden.

He frowned all of a sudden. Nervousness and fear were evident in her eyes.

"Rinoa… whatever it is, just tell me."

She sighed in defeat. There would be no turning back now, it had to come out sooner or later and something told Rinoa that even if she faked an excuse at this exact moment, Squall would just question her about it later.

"Okay, fine. We… need to talk."

If there were any four words strung together in a sentence that could strike fear or without a doubt bring chaos into a relationship, it would be that. Squall may not be an expert when it comes to the matters of the heart or even the little conflicts couples go through, but he was aware that from Rinoa's serious disposition, nothing good could come from hearing it. He tried to appear emotionless and calm on the outside, however on the inside, there was another battle, fighting the feelings of panic in his mind and heart.

Squall prayed it wasn't anything too serious. "Alright... what about?"

Rinoa, without a word, took his gloved hand and dragged him over to the plush leather couch at the end of the room, where he lowered himself gingerly. Her unsteady fingers straightened out her blue duster as she looked everywhere around the room except for her boyfriend's face.

_Looks like it's now or never..._

Another deep breath, then…

"Squall... I just… don't think staying here is a good idea anymore."

It was almost said as a whisper, but somehow it ended up being the loudest sound in the room, reverberating off the walls.

Stormy blue-grayish eyes stared at the pretty brunette in confusion. There was an awkward silence after that, as he waited for her to continue. When she didn't respond right away, he tensed up.

"What do you mean by that, Rinoa?"

"I mean... this isn't working out. I think I need to spend some time away from Garden by myself... for a while at least." She lowered her head and without thinking, held onto her rings.

The SeeD Commander was speechless, his eyes widening even more by the minute. Surely, she didn't mean...? "You're saying that you want a break from me?"

Rinoa managed to look up into his ethereal eyes this time, noting the look of pain and anguish that seemed to overtake his usual, expressionless facade. The words tumbled out of her mouth before she even realized it.

"I'm saying... I want a break from **us."**

She then turned away from him, knowing that she probably broke his heart and she couldn't stand to see the hurt expression that now covered his features. "I'm sorry..." Rinoa murmured.

Squall stood up, walked over to where she stood and grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. "Tell me why, please..." His voice now pleading.

"I haven't been happy these past few weeks, Squall... maybe you'd actually notice if you took the time away from work long enough to realize it." She said, her voice taking on a bitter edge.

Squall sighed, putting his hand on his forehead in his classic 'frustrated pose', his shaggy brown hair covering his eyes.

"Look, if this is about missing dinner again last week, I already told you that an urgent call came in from Esthar and I had to sort it out. That responsibility kind of comes with the job. Hyne, Rinoa.. you know that!" He yelled, with his arm held out.

"It's not just about that, Squall. It's about all those times when you left me stranded on our dates because of urgent missions that come up. It's about the fact that you can't even spend more than fifteen minutes with me without some work-related issues getting in the way. Hell, half the time when I _**do**_ get to see you is when you're about to pass out on your bed as a result of overworking yourself. As usual! " Rinoa paused, trying her hardest to choke back a sob.

"I-I don't feel like I'm loved anymore. You've taken me for granted… and I can't take it any longer... it hurts too much... " That did it. Somehow the tears managed to spill over her flushed cheeks without warning and she trembled, her small hands covering her face.

Squall was stunned into silence at her words. He couldn't believe she thought that.

He obviously had no idea his constant absences bothered her that much. Sure, he knew Rinoa was upset every time he was called away and of the fact that he's neglected her, but he made the mistake of assuming she'd understand that he took his job seriously. Isn't that what he's supposed to do? He... never wanted to hurt her. That was the last thing he ever wanted.

_Rinoa... don't you know how much you mean to me?_

Squall searched his mind, trying to think of the right words to say, anything to make her feel better, but found himself paralyzed. His mind was at a blank now… but then again, he always had a problem expressing himself especially heartfelt meanings. Taking a small step, he moved closer to comfort her, but she scooted backward.

"Just don't, Squall. I don't mean anything to you, right? I'm only a second priority after all!" She spat out.

Rage started building up in Squall. "I don't think that at all! How can you even say something like that! Of course you mean something to me, but I can't help that my job is important, Rinoa! I thought you understood my position! Why are you making things so damn complicated!" He yelled in frustration.

Rinoa let out a hollow laugh. "I am, huh? Well, let me "uncomplicate" it for you, _Commander._ I'm taking myself out of the equation. I'd hate to mess up your life any more than I already have!" She fixed him a glare showing him that she meant every word, but glimpses of hurt were shown in her brown eyes. And without thinking, she added, "You'll never change. It's a wonder why people left you in the first place!" She paused and closed her eyes, regretting that last part.

There was an earsplitting crack of thunder that rumbled through the sky at that moment, temporarily cutting off the lights. Both of them just stood there in the dark, no movement or sound whatsoever. Lightning flashed through the windows, giving the couple a tiny second to see the other's reaction. What Rinoa saw on Squall's face shocked her and she inwardly winced.

Squall glowered at her, his blue eyes cold and devoid of any warmth, with an intense fury. He now looked exactly like he did before she broke the barriers around him, Rinoa realized this with a start. He began to speak again in a low, emotionless tone.

"Fine. You want to leave me so badly, there's the door. Get the **hell **out and have a nice life. I was getting sick of your whining anyway. It makes me wonder why I thought you were ever worth it."

Rinoa gasped and started to tremble all over, more tears trickled down her cheeks as her hand flew up to her chest. The stricken look on her face tore at Squall's heart, twisting it even more.

He would never forget that look for as long as he lived.

She didn't know how she found the strength but somehow her legs were moving on their own and out the room, picking up a faster pace as she stumbled past several surprised cadets who were strolling through the hallways.

It didn't even fully register to Rinoa when she reached her own dorm. The young sorceress just slid down to the ground, knees pulled up to her chest and sobbed, her heart breaking into a million pieces. Was all that they shared turn out to be a lie? Even from all the times he'd rescued her back then, she knew there would never be another man who could replace him in her life.

_'...I didn't know he really felt this way about me.. I guess... maybe he never loved me after all... Squall.. I never wanted it to be like this. And now... he hates me.'_

Leaving permanently seemed to be the only option left now. No way in hell could she ever stay after what Squall said to her. Rinoa brushed away the strands of her dark hair and dried her eyes. She knew she'd definitely miss her friends, who all held a special place in her heart, but this decision was for the best. She gathered all the luggage and placed them on her bed before peering out the window, where she noticed that it was now pouring outside.

After packing up all the belongings she'd need, she inspected the room one last time, fiddling with the rings in an afterthought. Rinoa paused, her fingers caught on one of them.

Griever. Squall's precious silver ring engraved with a lion. It held so much meaning for her.

Fragments of that particular conversation floated through her mind...

"..._That's my favorite ring. You'd better give it back."_

_Rinoa broke into a sly smile towards Squall. "I'm sure it is. It's a cool-looking ring. What's this monster on it anyway?" _

_Squall shot her an irritated glance. "It's not a monster. It's a lion. Lions are known for their great strength and pride."_

_She contemplated his words and fixed him with her twinkling eyes. "Hmm...great strength... pride... ...Kinda like you, Squall."_

_Squall shrugged. "I wish..."_

_Rinoa clasped her hands behind her back. "Hmm... so this L I O N of yours, does it have a name?"_

"_Of course. Griever."_

_Rinoa nodded. "So that's what you call it. You know Zell said he'll make me one exactly like it. Who knows, maybe I can become like a lion, too. That'd be crazy, huh? I mean, everyone might, y'know, get the wrong idea about us." She finished with a nervous giggle._

_Squall crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow, watching her. "You sound like you want everyone to get the wrong idea."_

_Rinoa at once waved her hands in front of her face. "No-no-no-no-no!"_

Memories.

That's all she had now, just the memories. They were too precious to bury and just discard like they were nothing. But for now, they were probably the only thing that can keep her sane, since everything fell apart. It was the same back in her childhood days... where all she had to do was close her eyes and listen for that faint, melodic, haunting voice that cast all her burdens aside and could relax her all at the same time. A voice, that she could only now hear in her dreams as well as in a familiar tune...

The raging thunder outside brought Rinoa back to her senses. A quick glance again convinced her that the storm wouldn't ease up anytime soon. If she was going to leave now, without anyone finding out, the time would have to be now. Without a second thought, she made her decision and rambled out into the hallways.

The lightning flashed through the window once again, highlighting a silver object left forgotten on the floor in the now empty room, while at the same time making a path for the drenched figure who slithered out in the rain, unaware that they were being watched…


	2. Intervention

_Official disclaimer is posted on the first chapter._

_A huge thanks to Angelprinczess, Stardust Ray and Karaoke Risa for reviewing (I love all your works!) as well as everyone else! I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far._

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Squall collapsed onto his bed, his head in his hands in a hunched over position. A myriad of emotions swept through him - anger, panic, worry, regret, grief, guilt... it was hard to decipher any of them at the moment.

Of course he didn't mean any of those things he said to Rinoa earlier... he's usually so calm and collected, not able to let emotions get the best of him or cloud his judgment, but in this case, he lost it.

Big time.

Squall sighed, closing his eyes in despair. And now he just let the best thing that's ever happened to him in his life walk out the door and she probably won't come back... ever again. At the thought of this, he grew more depressed and felt a pang of longing and heartache for her. He couldn't find the strength to do anything at that moment, it was like he was sapped of all his energy. And it had come in the form of the raven-haired angel. No longer there.

He knew he loved Rinoa, so much that it hurt. He also knew he should run after her, apologize and beg like hell to be forgiven, but it was stubborn pride that prevented him from doing so right now. Even though he regretted everything he said, he couldn't help but feel angry with her, with the idea that she wanted to leave him and her inability to understand his responsibilities as Commander.

A part of him wanted to just forget about the whole thing, revert back into his introverted shell and take out his aggressions on poor, weak monsters - preferably some grats with his name on them - at the Training Centre like he used to, while the other part of his mind screamed, _You're a damn fool, Leonhart! You hurt her, and you deserve to be alone for what you've done! Tell her you're sorry and suck up your damned pride before it's too late!_

He brushed his hair back and breathed a few times.

_Maybe I am meant to be alone after all...they all leave you in the end anyway._

Tears were starting to form from the corners of his eyes, but he brushed them away in anger.

_Whatever... I just need to stop thinking about this for a while or else I'll probably lose what's left of my sanity..._

Just then, he heard a rapid knocking at the door. Squall's heart leaped at the thought of Rinoa standing outside.

_Maybe she wants to forgive me after all? Hyne, please tell me she changed her mind..._

But then, he realized he wasn't too sure if he wanted to face her right now. How could he? He was too ashamed to even look at her. Squall wouldn't admit it, but at that moment, he was scared that he'd see the look of hatred in Rinoa's brown eyes. Hatred directed at _him._ He wouldn't be able to handle that. His heart couldn't take it.

Yet again, he cursed himself for his stupidity.

Then again, she was the one who wanted to abandon him in the first place.

"Yo, Squall! Open up man, it's me!"

Squall groaned. He wondered what Zell wanted now. _I swear if this is about the shortage of hot dogs again, I'm about to shove one up where he doesn't like it._

He knew Zell wouldn't go away unless he answered, so he got to his feet and strode over to the door in one quick motion.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed martial artist with his trademark tattoo stopped his shadow-boxing long enough to realize that the grumpy Commander was standing there, glaring. He gulped. Grumpy was kind of an understatement right now...

"Uh... I kinda have some bad news... Selphie just told me she saw Rinoa leaving Garden! She was all packed an' everything! She also looked real upset... you gotta go after her, man!"

At the mention of her name, Zell could have sworn he'd seen a flash of sadness (_and__was that.. hurt?)_ in his friend's eyes but it was covered up almost too quickly, like it never happened.

"You are... going after her... right?"

"..."

The lack of response and averted gaze from the lone wolf seemed to fill in all the gaps.

Zell backed up a little, understanding dawning on his face. "Whoa... you guys had a huge fight or somethin'?"

Squall turned his head to the side. "... It's none of your business."

Zell nodded in understanding, regarding him with an air of sympathy. "Dude... you should go apologize to her or try to work somethin' out! I know you don't want to lose her... we've all watched you guys when you were together. It was the happiest we'd ever seen you. Don't let some stupid argument come between what you guys have!"

Squall couldn't stand to listen any more. This was already killing him and now he had to hear it from _Zell _of all people?

"Just leave me the hell alone, Zell!" A slam of the door met his surprised face.

He crawled back to his spot and dropped down against the side of the bed like a rag doll. His brown hair fell over his face, hiding the anguish in his eyes. He felt more alone than he'd ever been in his life. And knowing that for once, he actually deserved it. His worst fears were now confirmed.

Not being able to hold it in any longer, the mighty SeeD Commander let his guard down and wept, for all that he just lost. He couldn't even begin to describe the pain he felt, but it was more gut-wrenching than when Ellone abandoned him back then.

_She left... and it's all my fault... Rinoa... how am I supposed to live without you?_

* * *

Quistis Trepe leaned back from the window she just happened to glance out of, taking in the sights like she usually does when grading papers seemed to take its toll on her. At the moment, the fierce storm with it's raging winds and heavy downpour had her set in a somber mood. She frowned a bit, wishing that the sun would appear and cover the land with its luminosity. It didn't happen though.

Losing herself in the surroundings of the beauty of nature and all that it had to offer somewhat relaxed her, it always reminded her of how much she missed traveling in her younger days before she became a SeeD and then being known as the famed instructor. The thrill of visiting new places as well as the experiences of battling with her trusty chain whip was to a degree buried now, but still somewhere underneath the cool, reserved exterior of the blond-haired woman was a passion that couldn't be quenched so easily, even if it's been months after the Ultimecia incident. Although, something was missing, she could feel it... most of her comrades had found their happiness, she still had yet to find hers.

Just then, she became distracted by a figure rushing their way through the gates. Quistis adjusted her glasses and squinted, wondering who could be out there in a weather like this. As the person was wearing a black coat over their clothes, she was at a loss... but then a flash of blue peeking underneath helped to jolt recognition.

_Is that... Rinoa? But, why is she leaving and especially now of all times? Something isn't right here... _She thought, as uneasiness crept over her.

Firstly, it seemed to her that Rinoa was very anxious to leave Garden judging from her hasty movements, not only that but she also carried luggage, which was suspicious to the Instructor.

Quistis sighed, starting to get concerned for her friend but also for Squall. She wondered if he even knew about it and how was he coping with her departure. Knowing the stoic young man though, he was probably taking it very hard but most likely masking his emotions like he always does. Everyone knew it took a long time for Squall to open himself up, and it was in large part because of Rinoa. To think that he might begin to lose that hope, that missing part of himself he discovered once more, was saddening.

Shaking her head, she turned around and scurried off to her destination.

She was going to get to the bottom of this.

Just as she turned the corner, a body slammed into her hard, the impact was so great that the person tumbled down. Quistis, feeling a bit disoriented, glanced down to see a young, petite brunette with energetic green eyes, wearing a yellow overall dress sprawled out on the floor in pain.

"Ouchie! That hurt..." The brunette groaned, rubbing her backside.

"Selphie! Goodness, are you alright? You need to watch where you're going and what did I tell you about slowing down in the corridors? This must be the tenth time this happened!" Quistis stated rolling her eyes, a little annoyed yet amused by Selphie's habits.

She faced the blond and jumped up, a sheepish grin on her lips. "So sorry, Quisty! I was just looking for you and I was kinda in a hurry so I had to come tell you ASAP!" She then stopped moving, a sad expression forming on her face. "Rinny's gone! I saw her passing through the halls with suitcases and stuff! I just told Zell about it... and oh, this is terrible! We have to do something!"

"I know, I know, Selphie. I just saw her running outside too. We just have to figure out the reasons first, then maybe we can persuade her to come back." Quistis paused, thinking. "I was just about to find Squall. Does he know yet?"

"If he didn't before, Zell must have told him by now.

The two young women stood there in silence, contemplating the mystery of this situation involving two of their friends. "What a mess.." Quistis murmured.

"Seriously! Squall and Rinny really need us. What should we do?"

Quistis directed her blue eyes towards the dormitories. "I think it's about time for an intervention."

Selphie nodded and trailed after Quistis, not knowing what to expect next, but having faith that somehow it will all work out.

Along the way, they came across a certain pony-tailed man with his signature 'cowboy' hat at the brim of his head, leaning against the wall in a relaxed position.

"And where are you lovely ladies headin' off to this fine day? Beautiful creatures such as yourselves shouldn't be walking around without assistance." The cowboy said, tipping his hat in greeting along with his ever-charming smile that never seemed to falter in the presence of the female population.

"Irvy! We've got serious problems right now! There's no time for your flirting!" Selphie yelled, pouting.

Irvine, shocked at having the opposite reaction from the happy-go-lucky girl, just stood speechless for a second. "Uh, alright darlin'. Just tell me what's going on and I'll be sure to handle it for you, sweet thang." He winked.

Selphie and Quistis looked at each other and simultaneously rolled their eyes. "Just come on, we'll explain on the way." The blonde said, grabbing his coat by the collar, dragging him along.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time the three SeeDs got to Squall's dorm, they took notice of Zell practicing his skills restlessly, his arms in a combat stance concentrating. When he realized his friends were there, he lowered his fists, scratching his blond hair nervously.

"Well, uh... I told him."

Quistis folded her arms. "Alright. So, how did he take the news?"

Zell shook his head, heaving a sigh. "In typical Squall fashion. He pretended like it didn't bother him at first, but I can tell it did. Then he pretty much blew up and I've been standing out here ever since."

They all didn't know what to say after that. It was already happening – their trusted friend and leader appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown. If something wasn't done and fast, he could either end up doing something he would regret, or he just might find himself stuck in a deep pit of melancholy that could swallow him whole.

After an exchange of worried glances, the four comrades quietly came to a conclusion. One of them would have to enter the "lion's den" and approach him to find out the truth. The question was: who? Sooner or later, all eyes turned to one person.

After some hesitation, Irvine gallantly stepped forward. "Guess I'm the man for the job."

He rapped on the door. "Squall? You in there, buddy? I need to talk to you about something."

Of course there was no response, which was expected. Irvine sighed. "Alright, I didn't want to have to do it this way, but looks like I have no choice."

A couple of months after the heroes saved the world from time compression, Cid was kind enough to present them each with an extra key card to any of their dorm rooms. "In case of emergency," the headmaster said, however that didn't prevent each of them from using the cards when it was convenient. They all knew he said it as a mere technicality.

With one quick sweep, the cowboy opened the door and peered through, almost afraid to find out what was on the other side. All he knew was, it definitely wouldn't be the kind of prize he was looking forward to seeing.


	3. A Little Advice

**Clinging to Memories**

**by: Jayliyah85**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The creaking sounds that filtered as a result of the open door didn't do much to disturb the despondent figure on the floor, still wrapped up in his thoughts as usual. It wasn't until he heard the unmistakable sounds of heavy boots coming towards him that he make a slight movement of his head to the side.

_Perfect. As if my day couldn't get any worse. _

Squall figured that Zell – renowned to be one of the biggest loudmouths in Garden – would most likely have told the gang what happened. They were probably all just dying to know what he did to mess things up this time. He sighed, running his hand through . It's just as well. He supposed this is what happened when you had friends who actually cared about your well-being.

The 'stranger', who turned out to be Irvine, kneeled down to take a closer look at the state of his depressed friend.

_Aw, man… he's really taking this hard._

"How you doing, man?"

He was then leveled with a glare that could blister his eyesight in the time it takes to load a bullet.

Irvine whistled. "That bad, huh?"

The blue-eyed man just shifted to his original position in defiance, staring in front of him without as much as a word.

Irvine scratched his head, uncertain what to say next. Then after a while, he cleared his throat. "You know, it helps a lot if you said something about what happened. Maybe a friend's advice could be what you need. I know you're vulnerable and hurting, Squall, but remember that we're your friends – we're here for you and we'll always stand by you, no matter what."

After a moment's hesitation, he finally decided to speak up. No use in trying to hide as the guy was already in his room, then again, he could always scare him away by threatening. As much as that sounded appealing now, he was just too tired.

_What else have I got to lose, right?_

"...We had a fight... she wanted to leave me and I ended up saying some things I didn't mean. I drove her away and now she hates me."

Irvine examined him, empathizing with his situation.

"It might seem that way now, but you and I both know that Rinoa could never hate you, man. Not in a million years. You and her share a bond that goes so much deeper than a silly argument. Try talking to her about this, before it becomes too late and you'll both come to regret it."

Squall shook his head, the effect causing his messy brown hair to sway side to side. "It's not that simple, Irvine. What if it's already too late? You didn't see her face after what I said... I _hurt_ her on purpose. I-I just don't know what to do..." Once again, he covered his face with his gloved hands.

Somehow this seemed familiar, Irvine mused to himself. One of the classic cases of relationship problems 101. Still, seeing his friend like this was enough to want to help him out.

He plopped himself down on the carpeted floor next to Squall, chuckling a little.

"It happens. You're not alone in this, Squall. Every couple will have their ups and downs sometimes. How you're willing to compromise and work your issues out will help define your relationship, as well as yourselves in the long run."

Squall looked up at his womanizing friend, surprised. Since when did _Irvine_get so wise, especially about relationships? Or maybe it was just him that was clueless? Whatever the reason, he began to realize how grateful he was to have the smooth-talking cowboy offering him advice.

"Seriously man,you don't want to let go someone as fine as Rinoa! A woman like that doesn't stay single for long, especially when she has a nice - "

He was then silenced by another piercing death glare from the commander, who looked like he was itching to retrieve his Lionheart and slash... something. _Gulp._

Irvine choked out a nervous laugh. "Alright, alright, just relax... it was only a joke! You know, lightening up the atmosphere?"

Squall slapped his hand to his forehead.

_I take back what I thought before. He'll never change, a part of him will always be completely and utterly shallow._

After he made sure Squall wasn't going to slice him up into pieces, Irvine slapped his back in reassurance. "Anyways, you're probably sick of hearing me talk. So, are you going to go and get back the woman you love, or do I have to drag you all the way over there myself?"

The stoic SeeD, after a few moments of contemplation, took a deep breath and eased himself up.

With a newly determined resolve, he turned to Irvine.

"Let's go."

* * *

The packed crowds only seemed to increase once the rain continued its incessant pounding. For this reason, several people tried their best to get to their destinations as soon as possible, as delaying it further would only put them at a disadvantage.

Women scurried about with their bright, colorful umbrellas in tow, some of them with small children who refused to cooperate, while most were just businessmen showing their frustrations with mild, irritated scowls.

In one of the trains that departed from Balamb station, a dark-haired girl wearing blue was seated staring out the window, a forlorn look in her eyes. Normally, she'd enjoy train rides – it wasn't very often she gets the chance to travel everywhere on a whim, except when you're a SeeD, of course – and what would have been a serene, peaceful expression on her features was instead replaced with a melancholy one; the spark that was usually present in her brown eyes had also faded. She was now a shadow of her former self. Another tear made its way down her cheek, but this time she made no move to wipe it away.

She noticed in a detached manner, that it was like a monsoon outside but it didn't matter.

_It fits perfectly with my mood, anyway._

Rinoa finally grew bored of watching nature at its work and observed the other passengers seated in the other cabins of the train.

A curly-haired blonde baby girl was gurgling and cooing, a big smile on her adorable face. She caught the eye of Rinoa and squealed in delight, clapping her tiny hands. At this, Rinoa managed a weak smile and for a moment, it temporarily made her forget her troubles. However, she became distracted by a pretty woman who lifted up the infant and placed her on her lap. A man then entered the cabin, sat beside the mother and beamed at the display between the two. She continued to watch with dread, as the happy couple leaned towards each other and shared a soft kiss.

She wrenched her eyes away from the sickening act and closed her eyes. There it was: another reminder of the future she could have had... with Squall. That had gone down the drain. It was never to happen now, she so hoped to have a family of her own some day, it became a secret visualization she'd had since they got together the night of the celebration.

_No guarantees in the future, remember?_ She chided herself.

With one last look at the couple, something inside of her cracked. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom located all the way down the corridor. Silent sobs were wracked up her throat once again, and she found that she was powerless to stop it from happening, nor did she want it to.

------------ ------- ------ --------- ----------------------------

"Princess!"

Surprised yells came from the two former Forest Owls resistance members, Zone and Watts, who leapt forward to embrace their old friend, who stood in the doorway of their new "hideout" - a modest, but small townhouse located in Timber.

Rinoa hugged them back just as tight. "I missed you guys." She stopped back a little, checking out their "digs", apparently in the renovating process.

"So this is what you've been up to since I last saw you! Something tells me you need a fixer-upper..."

There were only a couple of brown couches to the side of the wall, a small round coffee table placed in the center and slightly stained blue curtains hanging from the windows.

This didn't escape Rinoa as she raised an eyebrow at her friend, her head cocked slightly to one side.

Zone squirmed and turned to hide the guilt. "U-um, well, you see... we didn't have enough money to buy the curtains we wanted so we had to settle for a **cough** t-trader..." he stuttered.

"Yeah, we only suspected until after that he ripped us off," Watts piped in.

"A trader? Honestly, guys, I really thought you'd do better than that!" She said, secretly amused but pretended to be annoyed.

"S-Sorry, princess... o-oowww! My stomach!" Zone doubled over in pain, his hands clutching his sides in agony.

Rinoa just sighed, smiling a little bit at her friends' antics. Some things never change...

"So what really brings you here, Rinoa? We haven't seen you in months and poor Angelo was missing you like crazy!" Watts explained.

She clapped her hands. "Oh! Angelo! I completely forgot!"

Hearing her name called by her mistress, the brown and white colored canine ran in, barking and wagging her stub of a tail. Rinoa knelt down and wrapped her arms around her beloved companion, stroking her fur. "It's been a while, girl. I hope you've been good while I was gone." Angelo barked in response, licking her face.

The young sorceress giggled from the actions. It was the first time she laughed since the day started, she realized. Maybe getting reacquainted with her old friends and a familiar place from her past was the right choice after all. It was just what she needed.

After the joyful reunion died down and all the old friends settled down on the comfy seats in the living room, it was back to reality.

Rinoa looked down, avoiding their glances. "I'm not too sure I want to get into it..." her voice quavered.

"At least, a little bit?" Zone prodded.

"... I'll just give you the short version. Squall and I had a huge fight... it was about something that was bothering me for a while and it ended up blowing up in my face. The first place I thought to run to was Timber, so I found myself wandering here and… thought of seeing you guys again. Um… could I temporarily crash for a while... if that's okay? I don't plan to be a burden on you guys…"

Both nodded, enthusiasm showing in their expressions. "Of course! It's not like we'd throw you out on the streets. You always have a place here."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

"Are you ever planning to go back eventually?" A short pause followed.

Rinoa bowed her head, strands of black hair falling over her shoulders.

"I don't know. I... don't belong there. I never did and I finally realized that. He doesn't need me like I thought he did."

Zone leaned forward, concerned about his friend's behavior. "But... you still love him, don't you?"

Without missing a beat, she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I do..."

"Then you shouldn't give up! You never have before, in fact, you're probably the most stubborn person I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!"

She shot him a narrowed glance, but her lips twitched. "Gee, thanks!"

"Seriously, you're a fighter, Rin. That's one of the qualities we've always admired about you. I know I had my problems with the guy in the past, but it wasn't hard to disguise the fact that he really cares for you. We just want to see you happy again."

Rinoa allowed all of this to sink in and looked up at Zone and Watts with newfound appreciation. "I guess I'll think about it... right now, I just want to forget... I'm kinda tired. But… thanks, both of you. I really appreciated it."

"No problem! And if you want to talk some more about it, we'll be here to listen anytime." Zone offered, while Watts just nodded.

She gave a small smile and just headed up the stairs, her boots thudding with each step. As grateful as she was at the fact her friends were taking an interest and trying to help, she already dismissed Zone's suggestion from her mind. Opening that part up again will only make her more miserable, not to mention bitter. The less she thought about it, the better.

After mentally approving the guest room – which had a similar style to the one she had back on their train – she flopped backwards on the plush bed, thinking.

She couldn't deny she missed everyone back at Garden, Squall included. They were probably looking for her by now... she hoped they weren't _too_ worried about her whereabouts.

_Maybe I should call after all and let them know I'm alright?_

Tomorrow... probably.

As her mind continued to drift, her eyes fluttered, eventually closing.

* * *

Irvine glanced up at his comrade and leader, a smile forming on his lips. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Squall nodded once more for confirmation. "That's right. I'm going to get her back."

"Alright! Let's go get your lady."

The gunslinger left the room in order to give Squall time to prepare for leaving. He then noticed that the others were waiting in the corridors, eager expressions on their faces.

"Well?!" screamed Selphie and Zell, both unable to contain their anxiety.

Irvine just shrugged, then gave a smirk. "Ladies and 'gentleman', it seems that our commander is back in the game!"

Selphie jumped up and down, while Zell raised his fists with triumph. Quistis remained calm, however, she smiled.

"I knew you could do it, Irvy! Teehee!" The bubbly brunette exclaimed before she jumped on him.

"Yeah, way to go man!"

While the three were convinced their friend was back to normal, the instructor was occupied in her thoughts, a prickly feeling started to form down her spine.

"Has anyone thought it a bit odd that Squall hasn't come out yet?"

The trio looked back at her in amazement, mulling over her observation.

"Come to think of it... he never takes that long to get ready..."

A heavy thump could be heard on the other side. Without a second thought, the four friends made quick movements and barged through the door when they halted in their tracks, horror and utter surprise registered on every one of their faces.

"SQUALL!"

* * *

_Thanks to everyone else who reviewed and read, I will update very soon!_


	4. Holding on to the past

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with FFVIII, the characters or the lyrics used here from the song "Someday" by Nickleback.

**Clinging to Memories**

**Chapter 4**

**By: Jayliyah85**

* * *

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His pose suggested that he was in deep thought, and his furrowed brows displayed his uncertainty of what was to happen next. Was he doing the right thing?

There was still that nagging doubt within him about going to see her, wherever she was at this moment. Although his talk with Irvine helped put his mind into perspective about what he should do regarding his and Rinoa's relationship, he still couldn't help feeling that all of this was his fault for neglecting her in the first place. He already knew this, but couldn't seem to wrap his mind around it.

What if she never wanted to reconcile? He didn't know if that possibility was even an option at this point, but perhaps, that could be why he remained rooted to the spot instead of marching out the door with confidence like it was instilled into his bones. Squall sighed.

But he had to take that risk, because above everything else, she was the only one who gave him comfort just with her presence and had a knack for brightening up his days. He vowed to make up for his mistakes one way or another. Squall Leonhart could never be whole without her.

Once again, he was brooding too much. A trait that Rinoa usually ended up teasing him about just to see his reaction. Almost right this second, he could just imagine her, hands placed on her hips, a pout marring her cute, delicate features. It reminded him of a time they spent together right there in his tiny living room a few weeks after the celebration; a time when both of them were beginning to relish the unsteady but genuine stirrings of romance…

"_Squall! You're thinking too much again! I swear if I had a gil for every thought you've had in the last thirty minutes, I'd be richer than all you mercenaries put together."_

_The lone mercenary jerked his head in the direction of the fiery brunette, just now realizing that he was, well, off in his little world again and wasn't aware that he had been called for the past five minutes._

"_Sorry," he muttered. "Old habits die hard."_

_Rinoa approached him to where he stood by his window, smiling as she stood in front of him. "But it's part of what makes you… __**you. **__Besides, you tend to look cute when you go into "pensive mode". She giggled when he rolled his eyes at that statement._

"_Whatever." They said in unison. Her face crinkled up with laughter, her voice melodious and enchanting to his ears._

_Squall found himself eventually smiling in return as he watched her in fascination. He'd never get tired of just gazing at her and more often than not, he wondered what it was about him that captured her interest._

_He had no idea how long he gawked at her, but it didn't take a while for her to settle down and pick up on it. _

_She cocked her head to the side. "What?"_

_He shook his head. "It's nothing."_

_They just stood beside each other, basking in the heavenly glow of the twinkling stars in the vast night sky. It reminded Squall strongly of them at the balcony; an unforgettable moment forever engraved in his memory – where they first kissed._

"_Squall?"_

"_Hm?"_

_She paused for a second. "Do you… think we could ever lead normal lives?"_

_He raised his eyebrows looking at her as if to encourage her to elaborate on her question._

"_I mean, since I'm a sorceress and you being the commander of SeeD, what kind of future could we have? I guess I'm just a little unsure of what will happen with us…"_

_Squall hesitated at first. He could tell that this had been on her mind for some time, bothering her. He still was not quite used to comforting others, but this was Rinoa. He then gently took her small hands in his gloved ones and held them firmly. _

"…_I can't promise that it will get any easier for us, or that we won't face more problems. What I do know is… that I will be there with you and together, we'll figure it out."_

_Her lips curved into a sweet smile, her shining unshed tears an indicator of how moved she was. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He did the same, his resting behind her back. She pulled back a little to gaze into his eyes, and then leaned in to kiss him. The heat that he felt when her lips touched his, softly left a lasting imprint on him and he returned the action, almost savoring it._

_Rinoa relinquished her grip on him and walked over to his bed. Squall followed only to see her in a laying position. Still smiling, she motioned for him to come beside her. After sitting on the bedspread, Rinoa cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his broad shoulder while he held her in his arms._

"_Stay with me… always." She mumbled to him as she surrendered herself to the world of dreams._

_Looking at her, his eyes softened and he smiled once more._

"_I promise." He whispered. "Always… and forever."_

A half-smile appeared on his face unknowingly. He had to hold true to that promise. Looks like it was either now or never. _Well, what am I waiting for?_

He was about to grab his Lionheart – a routine that became second nature – when a massive throbbing shot through his skull. He let out a slight groan massaging his temple. He wondered where it came from all of a sudden. It hit him again, this time with full force and even stronger. He staggered back, wincing and before he had time to do or say anything, the excruciation overwhelmed his mind and slumped to the floor, unconscious and appearing dead to the outside world.

* * *

It was too eerie to even think about or acknowledge, but it was laid out bare for them to see – unflinching and exposed to their disbelieving eyes.

Squall was lying facedown, not moving an inch.

The first to move was Quistis, as she dashed over to his side, her hands frantically checking for signs of life. A slight pulse could be felt from his wrist, but other than that, she couldn't discern what else was wrong.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive, but I can't tell what's wrong with him." This observation didn't do much to quell their fears though, as a small gasp escaped Selphie.

Irvine stepped to take a closer look and shook his head. "I don't get it! He was completely fine when I left a few minutes ago…. What could have happened?"

"We can worry about that later! We gotta get him to the infirmary now!" Zell shouted.

There was a sense of urgency among the group as they cooperated in moving him, careful not to damage him in any way; the guys' strained efforts could be heard while they carried the unconscious gunblader along the hallway, eventually reaching the entrance of the infirmary.

Quistis offered to get Dr. Kadowaki, being the most rational and calm out of the group, she could relay the facts in a competent manner. In the meantime, an unwelcome gloom had settled over the remaining three. Zell was pacing back and forth, in a restless frenzy while Selphie looked disheartened. Irvine just had a blank expression, his posture stiff. No one was certain of the outcome but they hoped with all their might that their friend would pull through.

Selphie sniffled. "Irvy… do you think he'll be okay?"

He glanced over, seeing her tear-stained face and sighed. "I really don't know, Sefie. All we can do right now is just wait and hope for the best."

Zell clenched his fists and groaned. "Man… why'd this have to happen? First Rinoa leaves and now Squall's in some frickin' coma! And there's nothin' we can do about it!"

"Oh, Rinny! She should know what happened… but how could we tell her?"

"Well, it's possible she's most likely in Timber. That's probably the next best place she'd turn to. Only problem is, we don't know exactly where or how to contact her." Irvine replied.

Silence prevailed for a few minutes, until it became broken by the reappearance of Quistis followed by the concerned doctor.

"Alright, from what Quistis has told me, it might not be very serious, however, I'm going to request that you all please wait outside so I can run some proper tests and make my diagnosis."

Everyone obliged and proceeded to the waiting area. Somehow the four of them each had their own sneaking suspicion that somehow, this was a bit deeper than how it seemed on the surface. If only they knew what….

After what felt like hours, when really it was only half an hour of suspense, Dr. Kadowaki emerged from the small room, a grim look being her expression.

She shook her head. "It baffles me… it's not too often I get a case like this. He seems to be breathing normally, his vital signs are stable, but he can't be roused from that state."

"So… it's not a coma?"

"Well, it's a bit similar to that condition but not definite. I'll just have to keep tabs on his progress. I can say that whatever is happening to him, it appears to be all in his mind and it's affecting him internally." Dr. Kadowaki explained, with a resigned sigh. "This is beyond my hands… all I can do is try to make him more comfortable and monitor his body until he comes out of this. I know you're all worried... I am too, but right now there's nothing else."

_This can't be…. There must be something we haven't thought of yet, that we haven't tried….all in his….. mind? Wait a minute!_

Quistis straightened up and spoke to the others with haste. "There's only one option left."

* * *

There was nothing but darkness.

Falling further and further down into the black abyss, with absolutely no sense of direction or time.

It was just endless, like being sucked into a warp that continued to loop without warning; a void that envelops a being and leaving them feeling empty without any light to guide their way.

_What…. What is this?_

There was also the feeling of….

Loneliness.

All alone, no help to turn to, just stuck in a never-ending hellhole with the shadows as its only companion.

He once experienced this before…. in time compression. He was in a state of complete helplessness and self-pity during that horrible time and didn't want to be reminded of that again.

He also remembered… when SHE found him, breathing life into him again with a simple loving gaze and that special touch. How he longed to see her beautiful smile again….to feel her against him once more.

_Rinoa…wait for me. _

With that fixed thought, he regained his balance, planted his boots on the ground and on impulse sprinted in front of him, searching for any way out. The sooner he left this wretched existence, the sooner he'd be reunited with the one he loved.

Soon, all his energy was used up and he sank to the ground on his knees in despair. He didn't want to give up but Squall had no idea as to what could have happened for him to end up here, or even to plot any means of escape.

He was known, praised even, for his tactical brilliance and sometimes brutal efficiency in defeating enemies without so much as batting an eyelash, but he couldn't even get out of _this place_. He let out a bitter laugh. _Pathetic._

What he hadn't counted on, was a piercing light that suddenly shone in front of him. The effect was so blinding, it caused him to shield his eyes. Those same stormy eyes widened in disbelief as they noticed it took the shape of a door.

There was no other alternative. His mind was made up as he stepped cautiously through the door, unaware of what he'd encounter or had to deal with on the other side.

* * *

Time seemed to pass at a slow rate, and it only continued to drag once you're in crisis. No one was aware of it, but the stillness lingered among the occupants little by little crushing their optimism.

As Zell was never one for patience, he offered to go to the cafeteria to pick up some food for the group. Irvine joked that if he got hot dogs, there'd be none left for anyone by the time he got back. Unfortunately, it was a failed attempt to make Selphie laugh or even smile which in itself was very unusual. But so far, nothing worked that could alter her mood. Seeing his Sefie in a depressed state similar to the time of Trabia Garden's destruction was enough to sadden the cowboy. At that moment, he'd give anything to get his bright spark back.

He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting, kneeling down in front of her. Her eyes were red from crying, her worry lines visible.

"Hey… come on, Sefie. This isn't like you at all… you were always the most positive and optimistic of us all and right now… we kinda need some of that." He soothed, as he made one smooth motion to wipe her cheeks.

"I-I'm just w-worried about our friends… what if he never wakes up and Rinny never c-comes back…?" She blurted out, her green eyes focused on Irvine.

"That's why we just have to believe – that everything will work out okay. Remember?

For our friends' sake, let's try hoping for the best, huh?"

Selphie nodded, managing a weak smile. "You're right. I'll try….for them."

Irvine grinned and kissed her forehead. "That's the spirit."

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thanks Irvine… I don't know what I'd do without you."

He just rubbed her back. "Darlin', your smile is all the thanks I need."

The two were so caught up in their tender moment, that when a subtle cough was heard, they jumped apart, startled.

An amused smirk on a blonde caught their attention. "Oh please, don't let me interrupt."

Normally, Irvine would have retorted back with some comment, but now wasn't the appropriate time.

"Anyways, you talked to Cid?"

Quistis nodded, turning serious once more. "We just have to wait. He hasn't-?"

Selphie and Irvine shook their heads.

"Hey guys! I'm baack!" Zell ran into the room, panting. "Whoo, I really needed that exercise."

Everyone looked at him with expectant expressions.

"Zell, where's the food?"

He stopped moving and grinned, scratching his head. "Uh… oh yeah, about that… um…."

He showed them the contents in the bag, or what was left of it. Two half-eaten hot dogs.

"Zell!" Selphie screamed at him, while the other two were looking downright murderous.

"I couldn't resist! They were looking so good and it was just calling to me. EAT ME, ZELL. EAAAAT MEEE… so I kinda did. Sorry guys."

Irvine tried to stifle his laughter but couldn't and ended up slapping the wall with his hand, bent over.

Soon after, Selphie joined in. She held her sides as she tried her hardest to contain but it was just too contagious. Quistis was the last to lose her composure as usual, but managed to remain upright, her hand covering her mouth.

Zell shrugged but nevertheless grinned. _I guess I was good for the comic relief…_

It seems that the happy moments never last, unfortunately.

Just then, they heard a rapid beeping coming from the machine in Squall's room, and some murmurs. Audible gasps could be heard. All that had exchanged between the group a few minutes ago was now forgotten.

They all packed at the doorway just in time to see Squall taking huge gulps of air, eyes squeezed tight, sweat already starting to form on his forehead. A slight jerk came from his legs.

"Dr. Kadowaki! Something's happening to Squall!"

The doctor snapped to action, strapping him with I.V. tubes then prepared a tranquilizer in case he got too out of control. As a last measure, she rushed to take his temperature, and then stepped back with an astonished look.

"He's burning up at an alarming rate!"

Irvine, Quistis, Zell and Selphie all had a look of panic, but were unable to tear their gazes from their friend, who seemed to be suffering on the inside somehow.

Squall then tightened his gloved fists, a look of complete horror and anguish formed on his facial appearance.

"NO! …not again…. Please…." whimpered the SeeD. His face then contorted into pain.

It was all too confusing… what exactly was happening to him!

"Rinoa..!" He cried out, turning his head from side to side.

The two girls shared an empathic glance, assuming he was calling out for her to be by his side.

He continued to mumble incoherent sayings under his breath, but it was apparent that whatever he was "seeing" it was too much for him.

"It's already happening… just as I feared…" A familiar, soft voice said from behind.

All the heads turned in one direction to see a striking woman donned in a dark grey dress, her long black hair flowing around her. Each step that she made exuded grace; if it were not for that maternal instinct she was known for, it would have possibly implied an air of superiority. To them, she was the woman who showed them unconditional love in their childhood, the ex-sorceress whom they battled with great reluctance and lastly, Cid's wife.

"My children, I came as soon as I heard. How long has he been like this?" Edea questioned when she approached the room.

"It just started happening, Matron. He wasn't moving before at all!" Selphie replied.

Edea surveyed each of their faces, noting the hopelessness and deep concern for one of their own. It also matched hers. She stepped closer to study Squall, who was still writhing on the bed. She closed her eyes to say a quick silent prayer and then stroked his chestnut hair, like a mother would to her child.

"You all know about the bond between a sorceress and knight, correct? It is the most important link that ties them together; call it a special connection of sorts that is rooted in emotions. I sense that somehow it has been severed. Can anyone tell me what happened?"

Irvine stood up. "Rinoa and Squall had a fight earlier today, Matron. He was really affected by it at first."

Edea nodded, her eyebrows creased together in thought. The pieces of the puzzle were now falling into place. Still, it didn't make the situation any easier.

"That must be it then. Somehow the bond they once shared is trying to restore that connection and it seems that Squall is reliving some past experiences in his mind…"

"Do you think Rinoa's doing this as some kind of payback or something?" Zell wondered.

Edea shook her head. "No… it's most likely that it's an unconscious action. She might also be involved, although I don't know how much." She heaved a sigh.

"But this isn't really bad, right Matron?" Selphie piped up. "He'll wake up soon and be his old self again, right?"

"Hopefully. Right now, we'll have to just stand by. Only Squall can come out of this. He's strong. I know he will find a way."

* * *

Various flowers were spread about the meadow, filling the earth with their freshly bloomed scent and colorful array. Pink petals were scattering the air, dancing about by the wind.

The gentle breeze tousled Squall's brown bangs as he stared in awe of his new location.

_It looks just like… the flower field at the orphanage…_

He _had_ to be imagining things, right? But there was no other explanation for what was going on. Either that or he was beginning to lose his mind.

He walked through the field, unsure of why he was brought here but maybe with a bit of luck, he could finally get the answers he's been seeking.

Then he noticed something in front that made him stand still.

A white feather…

It was floating towards him, taunting him by just being out of reach. With one quick motion, he grabbed the feather and stared at it in his palm.

Squall then glanced up and his heart stopped.

Rinoa was standing a few yards away from him in the distance, her back turned to him so he could see the faint outline of the angel wings on her blue duster. Her dark hair was being blown about, as if it were fighting to overcome a battle with the wind.

A mixture of feelings went through Squall as he gaped at her. _Is it really her?_

Before he had time to ponder more about it, he broke into a frantic, effortless sprint towards her. His heartbeat quickened with each step. He had to find out for himself.

"Rinoa!"

She didn't even flinch, but remained still. He frowned a little. Didn't she hear him?

"…Rinoa?"

He slowed down as he stood just mere inches behind her. Anxiety was getting the best of him. Why isn't she answering?

He placed his hand on her shoulder with the intention to see her face, when he gasped at the burning sensation he felt from her skin. He instantly drew back, a painful expression forming on his features. _What the hell!..._

That same feeling prickled between his eyes this time. Squall gritted his teeth. It was almost like a red-hot poker stinging a wound over and over again. He raised his hand and realized it was his scar that hurt.

Squall looked up at Rinoa, trying to catch her attention. She kept fading in and out… he couldn't see her properly anymore. He squinted but the images just got hazier. Even the colors were just a blur. Blue, black, blue… until the last thing he saw before his eyes closed were white.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Squall's body felt strangely numb… his movements were restricted somehow, but this lightweight feeling made it seem like he was floating.

He opened his eyes and saw with a shock that he was….looking into space; completely surrounded by stars in the far reaches of the galaxy. Squall was confused at this sudden turn of events and wondered for the hundredth time when he would escape this nightmare.

A barrage of images flooded through his mind. Most were quick flashes of Rinoa with different expressions – smiling, sad, angry, annoyed… unconscious. A vivid flashback was playing in his mind at that moment.

It was of her in a spacesuit, having trouble breathing and on the brink of death.

_No….! Rinoa!_

He saw her eyes flutter then…

"NO! Not again…. Please!"

She took one last deep breath then the smooth glass of the helmet shattered into pieces, her body drifted further away…

"Rinoa!"

No… it just _couldn't_ be happening like this. To witness her almost dying a few months back was agony, it felt like a bomb had exploded in his heart until there was nothing left to salvage. But now… seeing her like that was enough to crush what was left of his spirit.

He was helpless… He couldn't stop it, couldn't do anything.

_God… why am I even seeing this again?! Haven't we been through enough?!_

This was just some sick, twisted illusion he got mixed up in. None of it was real. As long as he kept assuring himself of that fact, he could go on.

Someone must be doing this to him, to mess with his mind somehow. But who? And what was their motive?

Another flash of light hit his vision once more and he found himself being transported.

Once the whiteness cleared up, he realized he could move again. This time, he was in a familiar place. It was the pastel-colored walls that endured countless staring from the ailing students or probably that unmistakable scent that filled it.

Of course, it was the infirmary at Balamb Garden.

Squall didn't know whether to breathe in relief or to stay on his guard for anything out of the ordinary. A quick scan of the room told him everything seemed normal.

Something still seemed off though, there was a nagging feeling he couldn't get rid of. It felt like a force was pulling him into the tiny room located at the right. He treaded in there, dread starting to fill his mind and body.

A still figure lay there on the small cot, resting, a serene look on their expression. Squall shook, his fists clenched upon recognizing who it was.

There she was again; looking exactly like she did when she fell into a coma. For some unexplainable reason, he was being brought back to relive the traumatic experiences of the past. This specific one was a turning point for him.

He remembered how much he wanted to hear her voice… how much he wanted her to wake up and smile at him. She felt so… cold when he touched her. It was only too late that he realized how much of an impact she had on him.

Squall knelt down by the side of the bed, and studied her. He brushed away the strands of hair that covered part of her face. His eyes clouded over with tears as he took her hand in his.

"…I don't know if you can even hear me or maybe all this is some crazy dream, but no matter what happens, I'll never give up on you. Rinoa… I-I'm… sorry for what I said earlier. I was being stupid and not thinking about your feelings. God… if there was a way I could take back those words, I would."

He smoothed down his hair, not knowing what else to do. Why was it that he was more comfortable expressing his thoughts when she wasn't aware of it?

"Give me another chance…"

Squall lowered his head beside her and sighed, still holding her hand. He had to stay strong, for her sake. Defeat was not an option, not at this point.

It was then he anticipated another dizzying effect and he began to lose his bearings. Squall grunted in annoyance. Still grasping Rinoa's hand, he closed his eyes in concentration and tried with great effort to remember a good memory they shared.

He didn't know if it would work or if it would all be in vain but damn it, he'd change the circumstances.

It was hard not to succumb to the wooziness that now tried to take over but he was still focusing on his objective. When he had the distinct memory he wanted, he stopped struggling and let himself fade.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of disjointed chords and muffled voices were the first things Squall heard as his surroundings began to come into focus. Bit by bit, the silhouettes that were flickering also became clear and soon enough, the entire room was brightened up with light decorations, the pleasant music and the cheerful chattering of people enjoying the festivities, dancing and eating.

Squall smiled. He never thought he'd ever be happy to see another social event but in this case, it was a special exception. As he glided his way through the crowd, he kept thinking that at least something finally went right.

He stopped outside the balcony where he saw his Rinoa leaning forward, gazing at the star-filled night sky in bliss, the wind lightly touching her silky locks.

He casually leaned against the side of the door, comfortable with just watching her. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but slightly turn up as he waited for what was to happen.

Right on cue, his past self nervously strolled up beside her, his hand resting on the railing. There was an amiable silence between the two for a while until she spoke up.

"I was wondering where you were." She said, with a slight tone of mischief.

"Well… I kinda had some… things to do…" Squall explained, shifting a bit.

"You mean, in other words, you were avoiding the celebration." Rinoa responded, grinning at him.

He just stared at her as if she read his mind then shrugged. "I….. whatever."

The present Squall had to chuckle at this. _Actually, she did read my mind. It amazed me how well she knew me, even if it wasn't for long._

Rinoa laughed. "Yup, I knew it." She twirled her finger into his face. "You're not gonna escape from me so easily, Mister. I believe you owe me a dance." She winked at him.

Squall arched his eyebrow at her. "I'm guessing my last excuse won't work again this time?" His blue-gray eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Sorry, you're out of luck there."

After sharing a couple more laughs, the two once again settled into silence.

"It's really been a long day, hasn't it? But we all came back safe and it looks like everything's turning back to normal."

He nodded. "We should be working on cleaning up some of the mess from the Quad as well as restoring order to Garden soon."

Rinoa fidgeted with her rings. "So…now that Cid has made you officially Commander, what do you see happening with yourself?"

Squall shrugged. "Probably enough paperwork to last for a lifetime…" he grumbled.

He didn't notice she turned her head away from him. "Oh… anything else?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Overseeing battle strategies, maybe funds for missions as well. I guess there are a lot of duties entailed." He sighed. "I didn't ask for this."

"I'm sure you'll do great. You can handle it, I know you can." Her voice had toned down a notch, but Squall was oblivious to that fact as he started to zone out again.

"I was… thinking of going to visit Timber sometime, check on the town… see how my friends are doing. I'm not too sure how long I'd spend down there."

A part of Squall's mind registered what she said and he looked up at her, trying his hardest to act nonchalant. "Oh… but, you're coming back, right?"

She linked her arms and held them. "Sure, but there'd probably be no room for me here. I'm not a SeeD and I wouldn't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't be. It's not any trouble." He interjected, a panicked look entered his eyes. "I'm pretty sure everyone would want you to stay."

Rinoa gave him a side-long glance, and then fixed her gaze upwards. "And… are _you_ included in there too, Squall?" She wondered, a small smile starting to appear.

Just then, a shooting star made its way across the galaxy. Rinoa playfully reenacted the first time they met, by sticking her index finger in the air, a small grin formed from the corners of her mouth.

Squall turned to Rinoa after seeing it and his handsome face broke out into a wide smile. The first real one he'd ever shown to anyone. Caught up in the magic of the moment, he stepped closer to her and took her right hand, bringing it to his waist. He then proceeded to waste no time in pulling her even closer until he could see the astonishment in her brown eyes at his actions.

Their faces only inches apart from each other, Squall leaned down and gently brought his lips to hers. From the moment he tasted her lips for the first time, an inexplicable sensation had taken over him. Never in all his life did he believe he could experience something like this and feel… complete. His heartbeat was beating faster by the second and he held on to her tighter, the wondrous kiss didn't seem to end.

They pulled apart, gasping for air. He noticed a sparkle in her eyes that wasn't there before and he was glad he could make up for it. Squall stared straight into her eyes and finally found the courage he needed. He spoke quietly.

"Rinoa… I…… I want you to stay."

Her eyes shone brighter than before and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"That's all I ever wanted to hear from you." She whispered. Without a warning, she flung her arms around his neck and tip-toed to capture another sweet kiss. It soon turned passionate as the new lovers held on to each other for balance while exploring each other's mouths.

When they broke apart, they stood slightly dazed still fresh off that moment. Rinoa then grabbed his hand and led him inside the ballroom, grinning like an idiot. But Squall never minded.

Because he had the exact same look on his own face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After watching the memory fade, Squall shook his head. To say it was odd watching his past self do all that would be putting it mildly. It was like he became a spectator of his own movie and he just stood on the sidelines, taking it all in from a different point of view. _I really haven't changed much from then, have I? _

He didn't like to think so, but a small part of him disagreed.

_**How the hell did we wind up like this?  
Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed?**_  
_**And try turn the tables**_

He did come to a realization though. There was no doubt that they were happy back then. Just seeing that moment between them playing out like that was a big enough reminder of how much had changed. She was able to lift his spirits just by being there with him – something that he'd always treasured about her, but he let his work consume him and stopped giving her that chance. God, what the hell was wrong with him? It always seemed to be too late for him to understand how good he had it. Until he let it slip away from him.

_**Someday, somehow  
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)**_

Once again, Squall swore to himself that when he got out of here, things would change. He'd make things right between them just like they used to be. He only hoped she was willing to hear him out.

While he was still watching the happy couples dance, without warning he felt the ground shift beneath him. It was happening again, but this time he was caught off guard and didn't have time to counter it with any thoughts.

_Damn it!_ He thought as the ballroom faded to black and he was left to ponder what would happen next.

The blackness that was in his line of view began to dissolve until he caught glimpses of numerous flashbacks all concerning Rinoa. Some of them appeared and vanished in the blink of an eye, but to Squall, some stood out more than the rest.

**(flash)**….Rinoa dragging Squall out on the dance floor at the SeeD Inauguration ball… her smiling at him, then walking away…..**(flash)….**Her running into his arms when he freed her from the Sorceress Memorial… **(flash)** Rinoa walking through the halls of Garden alone… **(flash)** She was sitting on the floor in her dorm…crying. **(flash)** The heart-wrenching look on Rinoa's face after their fight… **(flash)** Her boarding a train, a ticket to Timber firmly in her hand….

Squall grabbed his head and yelled in frustration, eyes shut. He was unwilling to see anymore… he just couldn't take it! Worse than the pain he already felt, it added on even more after seeing her in that state.

He dropped to the ground, his arms resting on his legs. He drew in deep breaths, trying to clear his mind and somehow concentrate on what to do next.

His ears perked up suddenly. He thought he heard a faint voice calling his name. Squall chuckled. Now he knew for sure that he was going insane. _Great, now on top of everything else, I'm hearing voices._

The second time though, was more distinct and he was positive he heard it. However, it sounded a bit distorted. He jumped up and looked around.

"…Squall?"

It was Rinoa! He could never forget the sound of her voice, no matter how long it's been.

"Rinoa! Rinoa, can you hear me!"

"…I…. Squall…? What's going on…?"

Squall sighed in relief. "I'm not sure myself….

"Wait… I can… barely hear you…." She sounded more distant, like she was fading…

"Rin-!"

He didn't know what happened next, because the next thing he knew, he lost consciousness.

* * *

The atmosphere back in the infirmary hadn't changed much, as the rest of the group still waited in anticipation for Squall's recovery. At least this time, there was still the fleeting hope that everyone held onto, the hope that he would return to them.

Cid eventually joined the others after handling the rest of Garden's affairs in Squall's absence and he too, had high hopes that the hero of the sorceress war would be in top shape.

Zell was getting a bit bored, and resisted the urge to practice his moves. "Uh, sir? Did you and Matron ever have to go through something like this too?"

Cid chuckled. "Ah, that wasn't necessary. You see, before Edea became possessed, we rarely had any arguments…"

"Oh, is that so dear?" She turned to look at him square in the eye. "Because I seem to recall every time we had some sort of 'discussion', you'd be the one who ended up sulking outside the bedroom."

Everyone snickered at that. The idea of their headmaster "sulking" was too funny to imagine.

Cid just scratched his head, his ears turning a bit red. "There were times I needed fresh air…it was perfectly normal-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as it was right then that out of nowhere, Squall rose out of bed, his eyes wide and gasping for breath.

* * *

A/N: This is quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever written! Man… that took a long while. If you have any questions, comments or anything you'd like to tell me, feel free. I'll be happy to answer. The next chap won't take so long this time… hopefully. It should be the last…Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! 


	5. Tomorrow's a new day

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII is not owned by me, etc. etc. yup, won't ever happen… neither is the song "Brand new day" by Forty Foot Echo.

_A/N: Sorry about the last chapter being long, it was planned that way. This one should be a bit shorter so I hope that's okay with everyone. This song is the inspiration for this whole fic and finally it gets to be included. Enjoy!_

**Clinging to Memories**

**Chapter 5**

**By: Jayliyah**

* * *

Squall didn't know what to expect the moment he opened his eyes. At first, the brightness overwhelmed his vision and he blinked a number of times to try and clear the blurriness. He kept trying to catch his breath but he was unsuccessful.

Shouts and whoops could be heard around him, but as he was still in a state of disorientation, he didn't focus on anything else other than his heavy panting and the fact that he was no longer restricted by that place. Plus, his muscles were stiff.

Then, he felt himself being thrown back as he was grabbed by someone who happened to be cutting off his air supply.

Squall peered down to see a petite figure, and judging by the sunny yellow and short hair bob, it couldn't be anyone else but Selphie. Besides, noone else could rival that death grip, especially when she was hyper.

"Sel…phie… can't… breathe…" He struggled to say, as his lungs were about to burst.

Irvine coughed. "Uh…Sefie, honey, you're kinda killing Squall."

She gasped, and with the reflexes of a chocobo, released her choke hold on the Commander. "Oops, I'm so sorry! I'm just happy that you're back! Booyaka!"

The room erupted in more laughter and Squall took a glance at the occupants and couldn't help feeling relief and a sense of contentment that he was here. With his friends. To his surprise, Cid and Matron were also present.

He focused on each of them. Selphie who was jumping up and down, beaming; Zell pumping his fists, Irvine, who raised his hand as greeting yet looking relieved, Quistis gave a tiny smile, Dr. Kadowaki shaking her head and muttering 'Thank goodness' and Cid holding Edea both looking pleased.

Finally, Squall smiled back at them. It may have been a small one, barely visible but to everyone else, it was a rare display from a young man who not long ago kept his emotions locked inside. But here was the unspoken evidence that Squall Leonhart really had changed.

"Welcome back, Squall." Quistis said as she walked closer to his bed, her blue eyes brighter than usual.

"You really had us worried there," added Irvine.

"Seriously man, we thought you were a goner!" Zell exclaimed as he grinned from ear to ear.

"Nice to know you had that much faith in me, Zell." Squall deadpanned. "Still, it's good to be back."

Matron gave him a reassuring smile. "Squall, do you have an idea of what happened to you?"

Squall rubbed his eyes, considering it over for a few minutes. "I think so, Matron but it's still a bit unclear."

She nodded. "I'll explain it all to you at a later time. Right now, we're just grateful to Hyne that you're safe and back with us again."

It meant a lot to him that they all cared so much. It reminded him of the times of the orphanage – everyone seemed so concerned over him when Sis left. At that time he wanted nothing more than to be left alone in peace, but now he knew how to rely and trust in other people again and because of that, he appreciated their presence even more. Especially since Rinoa taught him how important it was…

At the thought of Rinoa, he straightened up with a start.

Squall struggled to swing his legs over the side of the bed, preparing to stand up.

"Everyone, thank you. But there's something I need to do-"

Unfortunately Cid picked this time to intervene. "Ah ah ah! Wait a minute there, Commander." Squall scowled at that mention. "I believe the doctor needs to examine you and make sure you're in good condition after what happened, which means, a proper good night's rest."

"But, I feel fine Sir! There's no need-"

This time, Dr. Kadowaki interrupted. "Tsk, Squall Leonhart, you _will_ lie down in that bed or do I have to confine you to it myself, hm?"

Squall sighed, shaking his head in defeat. He knew better than to go against the doctor's orders. She was dangerous when she called out threats.

"…Fine, whatever."

As he lay sprawled down on the bed, he heard the doctor telling everyone to clear out so the 'patient' won't be bothered. However, sleep was the last thing on his mind. Isn't that what he'd been doing the whole time anyway?

He folded his arms underneath his head and gazed up at the florescent lights. Tomorrow's a brand new day, he decided to himself. And this time, nothing would stand in the way of his goal.

* * *

"_**Never thought I'd say I'm sorry  
Never thought I'd be the one to bring you down  
Now when I look out my window, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around**_

_**And I, I think I'll change my ways  
So all your words get noticed  
Tomorrow's a brand new day…"**_

_**- "Brand New Day"**_ by Forty Foot Echo.

Into the wee hours of dawn, Squall was awakened by some odd sensation that was ever present in the back of his mind. He couldn't identify what it was, but the presence grew stronger, radiating through his body. All of a sudden, familiar feelings swelled within him… feelings that were usually associated with…

_Rinoa…_

Glancing at the clock, he noted it was almost seven. If he was going to follow his hunch, might as well start early.

He rose, stretching his arms and brushed back a few strands that appeared in front of his eyes. Trying not to attract attention to himself, he stepped out, hoping he wouldn't run into anyone.

At this time in the morning, most cadets as well as SeeDs would already be up, preparing to begin their training. While he was making his way towards the entrance, he noticed some saluting to him as well as one or two approaching him.

"Good to have you back, sir." They stated, standing firm.

Squall nodded in acknowledgment, and put them at ease. Continuing on his way, he heard someone shout his name. He paused and spun around, wondering who stopped him this time.

Quistis stood there, alert and fresh as ever, behind her were Irvine, Selphie and Zell who all had grins plastered on their faces. She raised her arm with her hand clasped tight and threw a tiny object towards Squall.

With sharp reflexes that only a trained SeeD could have, he caught it in his right hand and stared down at it in puzzlement.

It was an object that meant so much to two people, symbolizing a connection that couldn't be broken despite the odds. It also gave strength and comfort to a young man who at one point, thought he could handle everything alone. Griever.

His gloved hand squeezed it before placing it in his pocket. He then looked up at his friends and nodded, smiling faintly. If they had thought of stopping him, he knew they wouldn't succeed. For that, he was grateful for their silent encouragement.

"Go get her, Squall." His former instructor said.

"That's right! Get her back here, you stud!" Selphie exclaimed in glee.

"Finally, Squall gets some action." Irvine declared with a sly grin. Work that charm, play- Ow!" He rubbed the side where Selphie poked him hard in the ribs.

He shook his head at their antics but took their words to heart.

"Count on it," Squall muttered, but somehow it was loud enough for them to hear.

He then walked out the entrance of Garden without looking back, his head held high and with a determined stride.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The past few minutes since he left had been a blur. Quite literally. Squall couldn't even recall how quickly he started up the Ragnarok or how long he spent flying to his destination. All he knew, while he was sitting in the pilot's seat, was that he needed to go to Timber. Why? He had no clue.

He ended up strolling through the almost empty streets, it was probably too early for anyone to be and up about but he noticed with a slight satisfaction that the town had been kept relatively peaceful since it had declared independence from Galbadian capture.

Squall came to a stop near some furnished houses and started to think of a strategy.

He took a few deep breaths.

_Ok, now all I have to do is just find her and explain everything. Ah… it won't be that simple though, I know how stubborn she can be._

He closed his eyes and then crossed his arms, placing a hand on his forehead.

_But, now where to go...? Come on! Think!_

When it seemed like the odds weren't in his favor, somehow it usually kicks up or calls out to him, in this case.

"Sir? Is that really you?"

The SeeD looked around to discover a ratty-haired, skinny boy with a blue cap waving to him from a newly bought house.

"Watts?"

"Good to see you, sir! Are you looking for Rinoa, sir? She's upstairs sleeping right now and you know how she is when she's-"

He didn't get to finish that statement though as Squall hurried past a bewildered Watts into the house and raced upstairs.

He found himself at a wooden door and sighed. He tapped on it with a tentative knock. What would she do if she opened and saw him standing there? Slam the door in his face? Faint in his arms? He grimaced at all the negative possibilities but didn't have time to dwell on any of them right now.

At no answer, he decided that she must still be conked out and couldn't hear him. He pounded on it louder this time and paused when he heard a tired voice.

"Zone, I… really don't feel like talking right now."

So she was awake. He thought that silence was probably the best option for now but still proceeded banging on the door to get her attention.

Then loud footsteps were heard, followed by "Zone! I said I-"

The door swung open, catching Squall a bit off guard, but there she was right in front of him, looking just as breath-taking as she always did. Except right now, her jaw dropped and her brown eyes had a look of surprise.

"Rinoa…" Squall whispered.

At first it seemed like she couldn't move or say anything but breathe "…Squall…"

* * *

The two stood not too far apart from each other, wordlessly gazing into each other's eyes being in utter amazement at what was happening.

As for Rinoa, this situation rendered her speechless at the moment. Her eyes were taking in his appearance as if to reassure her malfunctioning thought process that Squall was really there, standing in her doorway. Rinoa figured he'd bury himself in his work and probably try forget she existed but this was a completely un-Squall like move. Her line of vision rested on his face, where she noticed his expression remained as emotionless as ever, but his gorgeous blue eyes remained fixed on her. She could never, ever tire of staring into their depths. Rinoa felt herself drowning and quickly averted her eyes to his…lips…

_NO! Bad idea, Rinoa! Look away now!__God, why does he always have to look so unbelievably attractive?_

She couldn't believe it was just yesterday this whole mess started, but seeing him like this again just brought everything back… including that she missed him like crazy. Some part within restrained herself from not jumping on him right now.

Rinoa looked away and decided she should at least say something. The way it looked, Squall could stand there all day and not say a word.

She cleared her throat, still looking at her feet. "Um… I didn't expect to see you so soon." Then she managed to look up for his reaction.

Squall's expression hadn't changed, however his gaze softened. He stretched up his arm to brush his hair back - something he's always done when he felt awkward or nervous.

"I wanted to talk to you."

The sorceress tried hard not to cringe at that admission. This sounded a bit too familiar… and for a few minutes, she felt paralyzed.

"Please, Rinoa."

And just like that, she gave in. Rinoa nodded and stepped back in the room, opening the door wider to invite him inside.

After he entered, Rinoa watched him walk towards the center in front of her bed, all the while thinking she was still dreaming. It wouldn't be hard to believe, she'd been having those weird dreams about him from last night.

His back was turned to her, so she was unable see his face. Maybe he was still mad at her; he probably didn't even want to look at her either. Not that she could blame him for it. She couldn't help but feel anger and self-hatred for the pain she caused him, despite that, she had her guard up.

For that, Rinoa didn't know how to approach him. So without thinking, she blurted out the first thing that ran through her mind.

"I know, this doesn't sound like much but… I'm sorry." She said softly. Squall turned his head at that statement. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday."

With a wave of his hand, he stopped her from continuing.

"You don't have to. We…both said some things we didn't mean." He looked directly into her eyes this time. "I forgive you, if you forgive me."

She lifted her head so the honesty was shown in her expression. "I already have."

But Squall's previous words echoed through her thoughts, and it still caused that tiny seed of doubt to grow.

_But am I really worth it, Squall? Do I even deserve it?_

Quietly, she observed Squall clenching and unclenching his fists like he was trying to maintain some semblance of control. Sometimes he still had problems expressing from the heart, and this time looked like no exception. Rinoa made her way over until she was standing in front of him. She bent a little to peer at his face.

"What is it, Squall?"

He avoided her direct gaze. "…You were right to leave me."

Her concerned look turned to one of shock that he was talking like this, but remained silent.

"When you told me, at first, I felt… that you were betraying me somehow. That maybe you didn't feel for me the way I feel for you. Then I started to believe that I was just a fool for allowing myself to even experience happiness…"

Rinoa's eyes welled up with tears. What had she done?

"I wanted to blame you, but I knew I couldn't. Especially when I realized I was being selfish all along." A wry grin peeked out from the corners of his mouth. "I just ignored it."

By then, she had already straightened up; however she was a little confused by his words. She just patiently waited for him to continue.

"I want to be honest with you, Rinoa. And I only hope you won't hate me even more after you hear this."

She was startled from Squall's open statement and the display of pain and vulnerability in his features and somehow sensed it wouldn't be good. Nevertheless, she braced herself for what he was about to say and nodded with certainty. "Go ahead, Squall. I'm listening."

"There were times when I finished work or got off early. Times I could have easily just spent with you, but…" He hesitated. "I chose not to."

At that, her reaction couldn't be helped. Her heart immediately sank and it felt like a nail had just made a wedge somewhere in that pit. She tried so hard to hold the tears back, she refused to break down in front of him again.

_He really just said that to me, didn't he? God, Squall… I didn't want to be right… no… but, I hurt him the same way, it's only fair._

"You don't know how long I carried that guilt inside, but it ate away at me until I couldn't take it. So I buried myself into my work so I could forget." His voice sounded so defeated, so full of misery.

How long would this continue? The dark-haired girl didn't know how much more she could handle. Was she really that much of a burden after all?

Her fingers found herself entangled onto her necklace but just as quickly, let go when she remembered there was only one.

"I did take you for granted but I didn't want to admit it. I just assumed that as long as you were in Garden with me… that everything was fine...  
I could go on knowing you were there..."

A strange sensation flitted through Rinoa while Squall confessed. She frowned as she pondered what it truly meant.

"You were insecure, weren't you?" Rinoa asked, her voice shaky but resolute.

The brown-haired boy whirled around to look at her in astonishment. He couldn't speak so she continued to for him.

"…About this relationship… so, instead of talking to me about it you thought you could just avoid it altogether." She concluded, as she walked over to the window. As she turned away, she missed the sagging of his shoulders. "Why…?"

"I didn't know how to." He whispered.

Why didn't she see that before? It all made sense now.

Rinoa turned to see Squall leaning against the opposite wall, hunched over, his shaggy hair covering his eyes. Her vision of him blurred every now and then. Just the sight of him caused her heart to lurch with pain.

"Rinoa, I'm-"

"I think you've done enough explaining. I'm sorry you feel that way, Squall, but at least you finally told me the truth. Maybe this wasn't meant to be after all." She murmured.

The SeeD blanched. "No, Rinoa you don't understand-"

"I do now."

She saw him coming closer to her side and she stepped back. "Please just listen to me. I-"

She held out her right hand with her palm facing upward, stopping him in his tracks. "You don't have to anymore, I understand just perfectly."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his body. "Will you just be quiet and listen!" He snapped at her, his eyes flaring.

Her eyes widened in fear at his behavior. In order to calm him down, she obeyed.

"I was scared, okay? I knew I wasn't your fit for a standard boyfriend. I didn't know how to be in a relationship, how to act, what to say. After a while, I let doubt overcome me. I thought the more time you spent with me, the more you'd see that I wasn't right for you. But I was stupid, Rinoa, for driving you away… I'm sorry!"

There was an awkward moment there, with the Seed commander holding on to the petite brunette tightly, locked in an intense stare. A light had gone on in her head and now she suddenly understood. It wasn't a case where he didn't return her feelings. He avoided her only because deep down he was afraid she'd eventually leave him, but the irony in that situation was too much, as it ended up happening anyway albeit in some other way.

He loosened his grip on her as she started to relax after careful consideration.

She sighed. "I wish you had a little bit more faith in me, Squall. I _know_ that you're not like other guys and that's part of the reason why I fell for you in the first place. I should have noticed how you were feeling before… so, I'm at fault too." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "I just wanted you to be who you are. Even if it annoys me sometimes."

He half-smiled at that.

Rinoa didn't know what it was but she all of a sudden felt a bit lighter, like a huge weight had been somehow lifted. She was beginning to understand even a little more about him, and that in itself was a breakthrough. But, it still wasn't over.

"So, where do we go from here?" She asked, making a circular motion with her foot, her eyes glued to the ground.

He straightened, the action making his belts clink.

"I… I would like us to start over."

Rinoa abruptly stopped and studied his expression. He was serious. But then again, when was he ever _not_ serious?

"I had a recent reminder of what was most important in my life. What I needed more than anything else."

She felt her heart fluttering like crazy but tried not to show any outward expression. Instead, a flush rose in her cheeks.

"I also remembered what it was like… when I was close to losing that person. For good. And I don't ever want to feel that way again."

By the time he stepped in front of her again, her face was nearly hidden by her hair. Squall gently lifted her chin up with his hand and brushed her hair back over her shoulders, never taking his eyes from her stunned look. His hand caressed her now rosy cheek while she was just lost in his embrace and everything else about him. With his other hand, he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her close to his chest. He then drew her into a soft kiss, his mouth slowly covering hers. Rinoa's eyes widened. Her heart was pounding in her ears, she was sure he could hear it too. As he held her even more tightly to him, the kiss becoming more fierce as he took it deeper, her knees buckled from the dizzying but wonderful feeling and circled her arms around him for support.

It had been a long time since she had received a kiss like this, but she loved it when he showed small acts of spontaneity, even if they weren't too often. As she lost herself in this heavenly ecstasy, some small part of her thought just what the hell she was thinking when she decided to walk away from him. She realized she didn't want to… ever again.

A shrill, musical sound cut through the air just then, interrupting that glorious moment. Annoyed, they broke apart, short of breath, while Rinoa faintly wondered what that noise was. She watched Squall dig through his pants pocket until he pulled out a rectangular-shaped black object.

Of course, it was that _damned cell_.

Squall gave her an apologetic look but she just shrugged, smiling. He had to do what he had to do. And it was time that she accepted it if they wanted this to work out.

"Squall." He answered in that business-like tone. "……Fine… I see…Tell them to go on ahead without me. I'm busy with an important client right now and I wouldn't like to be bothered."

Rinoa raised her head in surprise, a smile creeping out on her face. What just happened?

He then turned to the flabbergasted sorceress, clamped the lid shut on his cellular and tossed it away without a second thought. She could have sworn her jaw must have dropped to the ground. On seeing her priceless reaction, Squall just grinned.

She put her hands on her hips. "What have you done to the Squall I know?" She teased, but unable to wipe that wide smile off her face.

Squall shrugged. "Probably having some out of world experience." He said mysteriously.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

He shook his head. "Never mind, I'll tell you about it later."

"But I wanna know-"

He placed a quick kiss on her lips, silencing her. "Shh. I said, later." He then raised his hand around to the back of her neck until he found the clasp of her necklace. As soon as he undid it, he slid the other ring down until it clinked with the first.

Rinoa looked down and gasped.

"That's where it belongs, isn't it?"

She looked up at her love smiling, her finger holding Griever. "Yes, it is."

Using the same finger, she delicately traced the scar running down between his eyes. In response, he closed his eyes, loving the feeling her touch gave him. Before she was about to drop her hand, he quickly held onto it bringing it to his chest.

"Will you come back to Garden with me?" He asked gently, his eyes pleading with her to say yes.

Her initial thought was to answer yes but some of that old doubt crept back up. She did want to stay with him, she was an idiot for wanting to leave; that just ended up hurting both of them in the process. But if they went back, would things remain the same?

His hopeful expression dwindled a bit after not getting an answer. As she noticed this, she quickly spoke up.

"Would everything go back to normal?

He shook his head. "No. This time, there'll be some changes. I won't let my job or my insecurities interfere with our relationship again. If it does, I promise I'll… talk to you about it." She let out a huge sigh of relief at hearing this. "But Rinoa, I _do _have a responsibility-"

"Yes, I know Commander Leonhart." She cut him off before he could give some long-winded speech and grinned a bit at the frown that now appeared on his face. "I get that now. And, I'll have to come to terms with it… since I'm coming back with you."

His face now lit up with joy and broke out into a smile at hearing this. Exhilaration swept through her, and for the first time in a long while, she was truly content. She embraced Squall, her hands gripping his leather jacket. He reveled in holding her again, lightly sliding his fingers through her silky hair. Rinoa didn't think this blissful moment could be any more perfect until she felt his warm breath tickling her ears, his only whispered words were…

"I love you, Rinoa Heartilly."

This flow of warmth that swarmed through her was unlike anything she ever experienced. He had her thrown by so many actions in so little time, but this was quite possibly the most memorable. Tears ran down her cheeks, she was touched to say the least.

Sniffling a little, she whispered back. "I love you too, Squall Leonhart."

A smile once more graced his features, making him look even more handsome as he wiped away her remaining tears. He pulled apart from her and made his way towards the door. He looked back at her and held out his hand.

Beaming at him, the dark-haired angel took her knight's hand and together walked out the door, their fingers intertwined. Her last thought before she completely left the room was that at last, she had a reason to look forward to the sun shining once more.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it for my first fanfic. Sorry if it ended sucky…. I enjoyed writing this, although I'll admit it got a little frustrating. For all those who read and reviewed, many many thanks for taking the time to even check it out. It was a different idea to begin with, but you guys stuck with it and I appreciate it so much.

This is the official end to the story, but I was also thinking of adding a bonus chapter – kind of tie up the loose ends and just write a happier chapter about what everyone's up to.

I have to give my shoutouts, you guys are really wonderful.

Luissquall (my first ever reviewer), Cerulean Crystal, Angelprinczess, Lady-Rinoa14, Stardust Ray, Riona Strife, Karaoke Risa, Roxas, Bloodcrie, Hayatochiri, PasifiKStaR, Kazeri, SavannahX, Ayato, Optical Goddess and Psycho Demon Creature.

Take care and God bless!


	6. Dreams do live on Part 1

_Disclaimer: I think that if I owned Final Fantasy 8 by now, I'd be enjoying my millions elsewhere, so I clearly don't! … _

_A/N: Hey guys! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and happy new year to everyone! I know it's been a while… but I'd never let you guys down, especially when you've been so supportive of me and of this fic. Thank you so, so much to every single one of you! Even when I doubted myself, it was those who reviewed that kept me motivated again._

_Now I promised I'd write some sort of light-hearted bonus chapter for those who wanted it, so I'm here to present it to you finally! I'm only sorry that I took too long to finish it up and I hope it is to your liking. It's supposed to only be one chap (and it still is) but since it unexpectedly got longer, I thought splitting it up into two parts would be for the best. _

_So enjoy Part 1 and the next part will come just as soon as I finish up some changes._

* * *

A tall, svelte blonde figure stealthily crept her way down the empty corridors of Balamb Garden, careful to minimize the clicking of her standard Garden boots. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary distraction, knowing that classes were in full swing at the moment and that any student could catch a glimpse of her sneaking around like this. Luckily, she had already mastered the art of stealth from a very young age so this was no problem.

Granted, this wasn't like her at all. She was supposed to be the very persona of calm and grace, highly respected and adored by the majority. One look from her eyes could either put an unruly student in their place or cause a student – preferably male – to tremble uncontrollably in awe.

But that was typical Quistis Trepe for you.

Right now though, she took the time out of her schedule to check on other…. matters, and wanted to do so without any trouble. She chuckled to herself, thinking that this opportunity would probably only come once in a lifetime, at least now it was to her advantage.

She only pleaded silently to Hyne that she wouldn't run into any "Trepies" along the way. They were only growing larger by the minute - as Squall pointed out to her one day when checking out the list of younger male cadets vying for spaces in her classes on the Garden database – especially after their group was plastered all over the media for saving the world.

Just thinking of her 'fan club', reminded her about the various poems, flowers, jewellery, the ten boxes of chocolate, and the list goes on… that she received recently from her so-called 'secret admirer'. Quistis frowned, still annoyed with the fact that all the items were occupying most of her space in her spotless room as she didn't have the time to throw them out as of yet. Although she had to admit she was flattered when it first started, after a while however, it got increasingly tiring especially when it didn't stop like she thought it would.

Rinoa and Selphie were thrilled at the thought of a certain 'someone' who fancied their friend. They even urged her to try and find out who this mystery guy is; both were obviously filled with romantic notions that he'd 'sweep her off her feet', but Quistis wanted none of it. She suspected it could be Trevor, the biggest 'Trepie' of them all: over-eager, talkative and **_always_** waiting outside the classroom so he could bombard her with words of 'love'.

The creepy thing about him though, was that almost every time he usually knew where to find her, and showed up when she least expected it.

Quistis shook her head. She _didn't_ need any more of it.

Finally, she stopped walking as she reached her destination facing two thick wooden doors leading to a huge room. _I hope I reached in time, it shouldn't be over yet._

She tried to hide a grin as she cautiously pushed open the door, a sight she never thought she'd ever see in a million years caught her attention. And she covered her mouth, trying hard to choke back the laughter.

In front of her were approximately twenty cadets – ten males and ten females - with their backs turned to her, about the ages of fifteen and above, all lined up in rows of five, their arms held out in front of them in a waltz position while keeping their eyes solely fixed on their instructor and the movements he was demonstrating to them.

Every ten seconds, sighs and giggles would escape from the mouths of the teenage girls watching this take place, complete with whispers of their adoration but would immediately quiet down with just a look. At this, the male cadets would mutter irritably to themselves, hating their fascination with the object.

Amidst the inaudible groans and mixed looks of helplessness and irritation coming from the young man, who could only mutter _'Whatever'_ at their antics, it wasn't that hard to figure out who the disgruntled instructor could be.

None other than Squall Leonhart himself.

_Oh MY HYNE… If only everyone could see him now, they'd probably be rolling on the floor…Squall Leonhart_ _teaching waltz_! _Even I can't believe it, and it's happening in front of my eyes!_

Unfortunately, noone else could know about it. In agreement to this insane request, Squall made sure she swore her secrecy not to let their friends or even the rest of the school find out. He'd be the laughingstock of the entire Garden and Quistis understood his desire to keep his reputation intact, so she promised never to let it slip. Besides, how could she miss this chance to see 'Mr. Whatever' actually teaching dancing to some kids? The reaction was pretty much the same with her students as she made sure to inform them that as a special treat, the Commander would be available for _one_ lesson only and it was meant to keep classified, or else he would not show up at all. It took Quistis a good half an hour to keep the pandemonium at a minimum, as the screams and ecstatic shrieks of the girls echoed throughout the halls, thus disrupting her lesson that day.

Quistis quickly regained her composure by this time and walked over to the group to get a closer look. Luckily, none of them heard her come in so she assumed she was safe at the moment.

Amusedly, she continued to watch the frustrated instructor as he let out an impatient sigh, then stopped demonstrating so he could explain the basics of the triple count and partner positions more thoroughly. After a while, he surveyed the crowd of drooling teenage girls, then stood rigidly and spoke.

"Is that all understood?"

Before the class could respond, a petite redhead with pretty green eyes named Rachel suddenly put her hand up as if to interrupt and quickly said,

"Uh, Commander sir? I still don't understand how you explained that spinning move with a partner? Do you mind if you could show me… um... one-on-one?"

She finished, ending with an innocent grin, much to the chagrin of her dance partner who could only open his jaw in shock.

Squall tried hard to keep his blank expression from changing and to not groan at her request instead. _How in Diablos' HELL did I get convinced into doing this again?!_

Then he noticed a slight movement behind a talkative cadet way at the back and recognized the blond hair, the thin glasses, the satisfied smirk, those cool blue eyes…

_Quistis….._ He silently seethed.

He still remembered how it happened.

While meeting his friends for lunch in the cafeteria one morning, he complained how much the paperwork pile seemed to look similar to that of a mountain and wanted a break from it. Everyone, including Rinoa, tried their best in cheering him up, distracting him from his restless mood during this time and it was then that Quistis had her idea.

The next time he was in his office, she mentioned that she had some free time in her usual busy schedule, and offered to take care of some of the paperwork plus also attend an important upcoming political meeting between the mayors of Fisherman's Horizon and Dollet in his place, knowing how much he detested them.

At this, Squall could have almost hugged his friend in gratitude, but not one to merely accept things easily, the Commander skeptically asked what benefits were in it for her. She coolly reminded him that there was still an empty position for the ballroom dance instructor for Tuesday's class and that it originally was supposed to be her duty, but …

Seeing what was coming, Squall's eyes widened in horror and flat out refused the ridiculous notion. No way in hell would he be caught teaching _dancing_ for anything. Give him any mission; T-rexaurs to fight any day, in fact, any monster would do, just as long as he'd have the use of his gunblade. He wouldn't budge an inch.

Nevertheless, Quistis was a seasoned SeeD instructor. All the training she put up with wasn't in vain. She had to have an excellent tactic in order to break the impenetrable steel that was Squall's will, and there was only one sure thing she could think of.

And that was to bring in the "artillery". Quistis simply shrugged about to walk away and casually said, "That's fine, then. I think that Rinoa would be disappointed to hear about it though, don't you agree?"

Squall paled. _Oh no. _

He didn't see that one coming and that could prove deadly to his situation. He could just imagine the conversation with her in his head about what she would say.

"_Please Squall?"_

"_No."_

"_Come on… please?"_

"_No."_

"_You'd be doing it as a favor to Quistis, not to mention it benefits you too."_

"…_I don't care. It's never going to happen, Rinoa. End of discussion."_

"_There's nothing wrong with a little extra practice, Squall. Think how much good you could do by helping the younger cadets with dancing-"_

"_I've already had my share of it, thank you. Besides, someone else can do the job and it won't be me."_

"_So that's it then?"_

"…_."_

"_Alright then, we'll just see how long that will last."_

Poor Squall already made the mistake of his failure to grasp the full potential of the mind of Rinoa Heartilly, especially when she was determined to get what she wanted. Her charm was too irresistible, too powerful.

As strong as his resolve was, there was only so much he can handle. Besides if she knew, she would never let him forget it. _Damn you, Quistis…_

He grimaced, then shouted out. "Quistis, wait!"

But Quistis already had her patented 'instructor' smile in place. She knew him too well.

The mighty lion hung his head in defeat and reluctantly agreed. Once again, the instructor had outsmarted the student.

As Squall came out of his thoughts, he narrowed his eyes at the grinning blonde, who coolly smiled and raised her eyebrows as if to ask '_Well, what are you waiting for?'_

He gritted his teeth in reply and motioned to the student.

Rachel was only too happy to oblige and excitedly stood in front of him, her hands clasped tightly to his, while all eyes of the girls just narrowed in envy.

Squall positioned himself and briefly closed his eyes, taking him back to a year ago when he held Rinoa like this and they lost themselves in the beauty of this dance. Slowly, he moved his legs and let his body do the talking, while everyone watched in amazement.

By the time he was finished, Rachel had a faraway trance in her eyes and it took her a while to come back to reality.

"Miss Evans? You can let go now." The commander's less-than-pleased voice pulled her out of her daydreaming.

She simply nodded and dragged her feet to the group. The silence settled over the cadets. After a while, all the cadets began clapping, guys included, as they were once again impressed by the skills he just performed.

Embarrassed by all the attention, Squall just folded his arms and curtly nodded.

"That's all for today. Dismissed."

He turned his back on the departing students as he grabbed a towel on a nearby chair to wipe his sweaty bangs and take the time to relax. _Finally, it's over…_

A sound of a slight cough made him freeze his actions, and he quickly looked behind him.

Squall widened his eyes in terror. _Oh help me Hyne…._

--------

"Come on Squall, how long are you going to keep up this silent act? It's not like they were going to hunt you down and strip you of your clothes like you were a piece of meat or something. They're just students!" Quistis nonchantly said to Squall, whose face was set in a grim expression as he stormed down the halls in long strides while she tried to keep up in an even pace. Although she knew he was in a bad mood – a bit of an understatement in itself – she could not help but look at him in a way that reminded her of when they were kids back at the orphanage. Even if she forgot most things, she couldn't forget that image. Whenever he got irritated at something or by someone, he'd have this exact look. It was so… cute, for lack of a better word.

Squall finally broke his silence, as he turned to the surprised blonde abruptly; his eyes spoke more than he ever would.

"_Just students? _Quistis, I swear that if you hadn't called off those girls when you did, there'd probably be nothing left of me! Did you see that hungry look in their eyes? I was almost tempted to draw out my Lionheart." He finished, shaking his head and trying hard to forget that memory. "Now I know how you feel when you complain about the Trepies."

Quistis couldn't help but laugh. Squall could handle a number of a group of soldiers without any problems, but feared the on-going devotion of teenage girls.

"If it makes you feel better, I _did _uphold my end of the bargain at least. I am sorry I put you through that situation. It's not easy to do something like that, but you did well in the end – not that it was surprising - and I'm proud of you. Thanks to you, I'll have something memorable to think back about."

Squall chuckled wryly. "Well I'm glad _one_ of us enjoyed something out of this." He added sardonically.

Quistis glanced back at him, resting on his chiseled features and in the powerful way he seemed to stride, which made him look even more attractive. It was a wonder any young woman couldn't resist him. She remembered that not too long ago she felt the same way herself. Sure, she liked to think she was always watching out for him – "like a big sister"- she would tell everyone, but in her heart knew it wasn't exactly like that.

It wasn't even just about his looks; it was in everything he radiated. Something she couldn't quite explain. Fate, however, had a way of intervening at the proper moment when Rinoa came into his life (and heart) and the instructor had already accepted that she and Squall simply weren't meant to be. And to think that back in the past, she could have almost destroyed that with some sort of awkward out-of-the-blue confession. She was over it now… really.

"What is it?"

Startled, she realized she was staring at him the entire time. "N-Nothing. Nothing at all."

The instructor then cleared her throat, as if to interrupt her current thoughts. "So, where is Rinoa now by the way?

At the mention of his girlfriend's name, she noticed his expression light up visibly, almost like something resembling a peaceful look.

"She was supposed to meet Selphie down at the quad this morning, something about fixing it up for some festivity they're planning or whatever. I told her that Cid wanted to go over some monetary problems we've been having with some of the recent Dollet missions and that I'd meet up with her later."

'_Always thorough, no wonder he used to be the top of my class.' _She mused.

He paused, as if contemplating something important then turned to Quistis. "How's it going with--"

Just then, a crackling voice spoke through the intercom. "_Commander Squall Leonhart is to report to the headmaster's office. I repeat, Commander Leonhart to report to the headmaster's office. That is all." _

Quistis tried to smother another laugh at the disgruntled look on Squall's face after hearing his title.

He simply shook his head and groaned. "I wish he'd stop that…" He muttered to himself.

"Well, duty calls. See you later, Quistis."

While her eyes followed his lean figure as he jogged off towards the elevators and out of sight, she found herself thinking of what he was about to ask her and concluded it could only be about one thing, or rather, one person in particular.

Sighing to herself, Quistis decided it was time to get back to her job.

And it was times like these when she preferred just being a regular SeeD.

* * *

Curses.

That's what Zell happened to be muttering as he impatiently stood outside Squall's office, tapping his red sneakers in annoyance while wondering what the hell was taking him so long. _Geez, can't a guy have the time to enjoy a delicious hotdog?_

The sooner the broody Commander gets his message, the faster he could get back to the cafeteria for his much needed chow time. He must have knocked about twenty times already and he still didn't respond. Since when did paperwork become that engrossing for _Squall?_ This sort of behavior wasn't exactly a norm for his taciturn friend either; never would Zell have pictured the day when Squall Leonhart became… well, like _this_.

Again, he pounded on the mahogany door loudly and yelled. "Squall! Open up already, will ya?! I ain't getting any younger!" He could have sworn he heard some shuffling movements inside… or was that just his imagination?

Eventually, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching from behind and upon him turning, came face to face with a pair of frosty blue eyes that peered back at the blond fighter, looking slightly irritated.

"Any louder and I'd think that Ma Dincht could hear you clear across the other side of town."

Zell rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Sorry, man. I thought— uh…

Didn't mean to scream down the place like that."

"It's alright, Zell. What did you need? I'm kind of busy at the moment." Squall stated, folding his arms and cutting right to the chase like always.

Before Zell could relay what was on his mind, he noticed something a bit off about his friend's appearance. He studied Squall closely as if just seeing him for the first time in days. His chestnut hair was tousled more than usual; some strands sticking out of place. Not to mention, the standard blue SeeD jacket seemed to be missing, his white cotton shirt had a disheveled look.

Curiosity always had a way of sneaking up on Zell. "Hey, come to think of it… why do you look like that? You looked like you just ran a marathon or something."

Realizing what Zell was getting at, Squall just shrugged casually. "Training center." He answered noncommittally.

Zell looked confused. "Ah. But… where's your gunblade?"

"Dropped it off in my room before I got here." Squall replied, without missing a beat. "Now, what did you want to tell me?"

'_Weird, could have sworn I heard some noises in there earlier…'_ The combat fighter just brushed off that nagging thought for now.

"Selphie wanted me to tell you that if you've seen Rinoa, to tell her to come down to the quad pronto. She's literally going crazy down there organizing that spring dance without her 'assistant'. Without Irvine there to keep her in tow, she was practically gettin' ready to strangle me… and well, you know how she gets."

Squall let out a small smile. "All too well. I haven't seen Rin all day though, sorry. Try looking in the cafeteria."

"But I was just--" Zell faltered, once a light bulb had just appeared above his head. And with that realization of what's been going on, he let out a few uncontrollable snickers.

Squall just peered at him oddly. "Care to tell me what amuses you?"

Zell coughed, but kept a smirk that was similar to that of the Cheshire cat. "Ah… nothing, nothing. Anyways, that's all I came to say. Remember to come to the party!" And as he was about to sprint off towards the lift, he hollered. "Oh, and say hi to Rin for me!"

Squall looked at him blankly, then just shook his head slowly.

"Whatever."

* * *

_**I'm glad I finally get the chance to write the dedications to the reviewers for the last chap. I was amazed yet truly happy at the feedback and this is what I gotta say:-**_

_**Cerulean Crystal - Thanks for sticking by this story from the start! I'm glad you found it touching, esp. Squall's speech. I tried to make it as emotional as possible but I wasn't sure if I pulled it off right. At least you confirmed it for me, lol. I appreciated your warm wishes and I hope everything was also good for you over the holidays. :)**_

_**Bloodcrie - Man, that's probably one of the best compliments someone could ever give me! Lol... seriously, you made my day back then. Thank you for saying that... it really touched me. To have that much faith in someone is an amazing feeling. Not sure if I still live up to that standard of keeping them in-character now, but even if you don't like this first part, I'd understand. Still, I am definitely motivated to write more works and I've started a few - just need to work them out:D I hope you're still writing too!**_

_**Ayato - Wow! Thank you so much, hun! You really thought those scenes were romantic? That's sweet ;D I kinda always envision mushy stuff in my head whenever I'm bored and I've wanted to write them out for a story one day. I'm just relieved it worked for you! (And what do ya mean? Of course you write plenty good fluff yourself, mister:P) I'm still waiting on your next updates, btw! You better keep at it!**_

_**Luis - You're another faithful reviewer, glad you enjoyed the ending! I hope you liked this and that you're not disappointed with this first part so far. Thanks for keeping my spirits up and stay tuned for the second part:)**_

_**SavannahX - Glad you thought it was! I also thought it was sweet, haha. I just wanted to make him a little more spontaneous there. Thanks for all your reviews, and I'd love to hear what you thought of this so far! As for the next stories, I have a couple of ideas but I just need to work them out now. Keep writing your stories!**_

_**Psycho Demon Creature - Thanks for all your support and hey, as long as you do review, it doesn't matter when it comes. ;D Hope this this part was good enough and the second part will come soon!**_

_**Optical Goddess - I'm really happy you enjoyed and reviewed as I've been a fan of your works (which you know already :D) As for the very last part when they were walking out, Rinoa wasn't actually gonna leave her stuff behind, lol... but I didn't want to ruin the magic of the moment when Squall gave her his hand so I intended for them to spend some time together and she'd go back eventually. :P Thank you for taking the time!**_

_**Leontillybalambgirl - Glad you liked it and I hope I was able to help you back when you asked for it. You did very nicely with your first fic and I see that you're getting the hang of it. Good luck wih future stories!**_

_**Part 2 will be added soon!**_


	7. Dreams do live on Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVIII. It is the copyright of Square-Enix.

**Part II**

* * *

Squall closed the door behind him and leaned against it heavily. It seemed that every time there was a moment when he could settle down, there was usually an obstacle he has to overcome before it happened. The commander took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, all the while annoyed thoughts were racing through his mind.

_Why must Cid always place me with this responsibility? I never even asked for this in the first place…_

But he had to deal with this burden for a number of months now and he had gotten pretty damn good at it. Apparently the old man had known this as well, hence the large pressure on his shoulders. Well, there was no use in delaying the inevitable.

He realized with a start that the room was strangely quiet and with a quick sweep around, his eyes darted to the black chair, then from the chaise lounge near to his desk to the window. His brow furrowed in concern, a quizzical look appeared in his blue eyes. He walked back to his desk, and then paused. Without turning around, a smirk slowly formed on his lips.

"You're getting good at that."

Two thin arms from behind wrapped around his waist and squeezed tightly. Startled by the sudden contact, his muscles became rigid but eventually relaxed when familiarity reigned. Warmth from another body enveloped him as he felt himself getting lost in that unmistakable scent of _her._

He could feel her head resting against his back, her body now close to his. A tingling jolt of pleasure ran up and down his spine. It was amazing the effect she had on him; no one else could pull it off so effortlessly.

Her soft hands that started running up and down his chest, had now slipped underneath his thin shirt, her fingers caressing his toned abs.

Squall's breathing stopped as her light touch paralyzed him to the spot. His heart was pounding so quickly, he felt like it echoed throughout the room. All the while, he was blissfully enjoying this sensation.

All the thoughts he had trickled away like a flowing stream, it was like he couldn't even think straight.

He immediately turned around to face the lively, chocolate-colored eyes of the dark-haired woman – the woman he loved, causing her actions to cease, while he regained his breathing. A second didn't even pass between the two before he cupped his hands around her heart-shaped face and pulled her in for a sweet, tender kiss.

Rinoa smiled as their lips continued to express the burning desire and love that they felt for each other.

It had been a little more than a year now since the incident that occurred between them, almost shattering what they had. And right now, things couldn't be more perfect in Rinoa's mind.

A compromise had formed between the couple; all their old lingering issues had been worked out and laid to rest. They reached a stage where comfort was now a second home in their hearts and minds.

Both Rinoa and Squall had grown and matured considerably from being in a relationship with one another – Squall was still Squall, but over the course of time, had finally stopped shutting his friends out and let them see a more open friendly side that he wouldn't have normally shown, except in the presence of Rinoa. The dark-haired sorceress on the other hand, had calmed down considerably since no longer being the 'princess' of the Forest Owls, and of course from being in close proximity to her soul mate, where a new quiet side had emerged.

Not to say the happy couple didn't have problems now and then, in fact, it was almost routine. After all, any healthy relationship wouldn't work without them, and while it was expected being two polar opposites, they became just as good in making up afterwards.

He'd set aside more time for her, which was easily carried out now that he had assistance.

Along with Quistis' cooperation, Squall also made another mutual arrangement with Xu to handle half of the administrative duties when she had some time to spare. As she would receive an additional bonus paycheck each time as per her request, no complaints could be made on her part. He couldn't even describe the enormous relief he felt once some of it was off his back.

As for Rinoa's part, she became more understanding about his duties as Commander and didn't pester him about it like she used to. After moving back into Garden with Angelo by her side, there was still an uncertainty regarding her place there. Although Cid had graciously offered her the chance to be a SeeD, she politely declined deciding that it wasn't for her.

It was on Selphie's suggestion that Rinoa could take on the job position as the official 'Assistant Garden Festival Organizer' – with the bubbly brunette as leader, naturally – and one that she wholeheartedly agreed with. She then spent her days arranging and planning ideas for events in the newly restored Quad. Something she found she had a knack for; plus, hanging with Selphie was never a dull moment.

As much as Rinoa missed Squall and wanted to spend more time together, she realized how hectic his work was. As more time passed, she gained a whole new respect and admiration for how he efficiently ran the Garden yet still made time for her. He even gave specific orders to not disturb him while they were out together, unless it was an emergency and if Cid personally requested him for any duties.

It seemed like everything was falling into place.

It hadn't been too long until Squall explained his little 'flashback' journey in his conscious to Rinoa, who was bewildered at the part she played into this without being aware. Edea took the time to carefully expand on that with the limited knowledge and past experience she had on sorceresses and reassured the couple that their bond had strengthened again – to the point, where sometimes they could sense each other's presence as well as strong emotions, maybe even thoughts.

Rinoa surprisingly took this in stride, but it took a while for Squall to adjust to his interesting "situation". At first he wasn't pleased with the idea that his girlfriend could tell what he was feeling sometimes. He felt like it was an invasion of his private emotional states; that basically Rinoa had the key to his lock. She understood him though, and knew when to back off when he needed his space.

Besides, as long as Rinoa was there in his life, he could deal with anything.

After a heated moment between the two, they held each other lovingly; Rinoa broke off the kiss and smiled weakly at the dazed Commander.

She giggled upon seeing his expression. "Looks like someone was hungry for more, hmm?" She whispered mischievously.

Her arms were now loosely wrapped around his neck, her hand playing with his hair while his arms encircled her slim waist.

Squall gave her what passed off as a reprimanding look, which she only knew to be playful. "Now, Ms. Heartilly, do you not know that teasing your superior can only lead to severe punishment?"

She adopted a somber look and proceeded to play along. "Punishment? Why, Commander Leonhart, surely you must have it somewhere within in you to… give me a little break?" She ended sweetly, trailing her fingers across his collarbone.

Squall smirked. "Apparently, you underestimate me. I am capable of a lot of things."

"Ooh, I'm scared now." Rinoa replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes in jest.

"You should be."

Rinoa simply had an amused look on her face and planted a quick kiss on his mouth.

"So, is anyone onto us yet?"

He half-smiled. "I think Zell just figured it out. He also mentioned Selphie was having another 'hyper' fit looking for you."

She giggled a bit at that discovery and bit her lip. "Aw, well I guess the 'coffee' excuse won't work anymore either," Rinoa pointed out as she glanced at the former steaming brown mug at the edge of his cluttered desk, now at room temperature.

Squall groaned. "I think that people stopped buying it after the last six times you used it. It's getting way too old now."

Rinoa playfully swatted his arm. "Well, why don't you try coming up with something else? You're the one who's supposed to be good at strategy!"

"Or we could just end all this "sneaking" around and just come out with it already. It's not like anyone doesn't know by now."

She shrugged. "We could… but then it wouldn't be more fun this way."

"Well," he whispered conspiratorially. "It looks like I have more to teach you then." He mumbled as he nuzzled her neck.

"Hmm… I guess so."

Squall simply leaned down towards her until their foreheads touched. They stayed like that for a few minutes just gazing into each other's eyes, until he placed a light kiss on her temple and retreated behind his desk. There was a silent understanding between them, no words were necessary to break the moment. They would see each other later anyway, plus she didn't want Selphie to kill her.

Taking it as her cue to leave, Rinoa made her way to the door but suddenly stopped, remembering something.

"Oh, what did Cid want to meet with you about just now? I thought you already talked to him earlier this morning about… that Dollet mission?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

His hand hovered over the pen in mid-air and paused. "Apparently, Laguna is requesting that I check over at Esthar in a few hours; something to do with the new soldiers he's organizing for his new security system. I'm not sure how long I'll be over there; Cid informed me that I'll get the vital details from him later."

Rinoa nodded her head, marveling at the fact that Squall's expression no longer sported that infamous scowl he'd get once Laguna's name was mentioned. Just one of many new changes she began to see. Maybe he's finally accepted him.

"That doesn't sound too bad. You could get to spend some quality time with Ellone and him as well; maybe learn something you've always wanted to know."

Squall scoffed. "Right. Like one big happy family?"

She pursed her lips, once she felt the tiny pricks of irritation radiating from his aura. _Okay, so maybe he still hasn't yet…_

Deciding to try a different tack without him having to pull his barriers up, she linked her hands together.

"Squall, I know it hasn't been easy for you to forget the past – believe me, I've had my share of problems with my da- _that man_ myself…" She trailed off, referring to the estranged relationship between her and General Caraway. Strangely, some small part within did feel regret for the way they were now.

She shook her head, now wasn't the time to think about that and continued on.

"…But Laguna genuinely wants to make it work between you two. You just… choose not to." Rinoa stated carefully, as she walked back over to boyfriend, resting her arms on his shoulders. "I must be rubbing off on you." She joked.

Squall chuckled. "More than you know."

The sorceress laughed. "Still, it wouldn't kill you just to try get along with him for this trip. Besides, I have a feeling you're going to appreciate him in your life one day."

Blue-gray eyes tinged with disbelief rested on her pretty face to his right. "Are we still talking about the same moron?"

"No, I'm talking about your DAD." She corrected, ruffling his hair. "He is your family after all, Ellone too. Sometimes… it's better to just move forward."

Squall sighed, as if to indicate his resignation.

'_Maybe, but you're still all the family I could ever want.'_

He was unaware that his one fleeting thought had reached her mind. Warmth blossomed within her spirit as she grasped his true feelings for her. Unable to stop herself, she smiled and kissed his cheek.

Immediately, he blushed almost involuntarily. "What was that for?"

"Just for being you."

* * *

"No, no, no! Carlos, I want all the flowers on that table over _there_! More colors in that banner, Sheena, we want it to stand out! We want to make this party one of the best ever, guys! Keep up the good work! Where are the fireworks I asked for?? And has anyone seen Rinoa yet??!" 

Indeed, anyone passing by the ballroom or anywhere in the halls for that matter could immediately identify the excited, high-pitched shrieks coming from that megaphone, as a flurry of cadets milled around the area, hurriedly preparing the instructions demanded from their leader.

"Fireworks?" An amused Southern drawl accent asked as he came into view, being none other than the gun-toting, ladies' man. A lazy smirk formed on his mouth.

Selphie lowered her megaphone and turned to Irvine.

"Of course! It wouldn't be a par-tay without adding an extra BOOM!" She raised her arms straight up for emphasis.

Irvine just looked down at his girlfriend and couldn't help but join in her infectious enthusiasm. "Hey, I'm all for that, darlin'. Anything to make you happy, but isn't that a bit much, even for this?"

Selphie just shook her head energetically, her brown curls swishing at the sides of her face. "Trust me, Irvine. You're dealing with an experienced planner. It's gonna be perfect! I know it!"

"Believe me, I do. And uh, I thought the whole point of this was to not let Rinoa know about it. Why are you calling around for her?" Irvine asked, puzzled.

"For dramatic effect, duh! This way, her suspicions would be put down. Besides, I already knew she's been sneaking around to visit Squall and they're probably making out like crazy right about now." She said, matter-of-factly.

Surprised, Irvine whistled then placed his hands on his tanned slacks. "Hoo, looks like Squall is getting more than his share of work, then." He commented, thinking to himself that he couldn't be more proud.

"Yeah, romantic huh? But Irvy, I'd really, really like you to go make sure we get the cake ready in time, oh! And that the seating arrangements are all taken care of and that the band arrives early tomorrow, ok, great, thanks!"

She kissed him quickly on the lips, and then pushed him the other way almost causing him to fall over, and then skipped over to check on the progress of the silver streamers that were being lifted in the center of the room.

The cowboy just grinned. That's what he loved about her. The boundless energy she seemed to never have enough of and her ability to instantly bring joy to other people with her cheerful, upbeat attitude – it was something that always deep down drew him to her, from the very beginning.

Irvine was interrupted out of his thoughts when he heard the light pattering of boots, and out of the corner of his eye noticed a petite, slim figure with dark hair stop beside him, panting heavily.

"Whoa, Rinoa, you look a bit tired there. Anything I can do for a lady?" He asked, putting his full charm on.

She took a moment to catch her breath, and then smiled tiredly up at her friend. "Just ran all the way down, I didn't mean to be late, honest. I, uh, had to check up on Squall, you know. Making sure he's… awake."

Irvine grinned wider. "Uh huh, I bet you did." He winked at her slyly.

Rinoa looked at him directly, giving him an almost playful, challenging glance.

"Not to worry, secret's safe with me. I remember those claws of yours."

"There's more where that came from." Rinoa smiled, pointing up her index finger as electricity crackled from it.

Irvine gulped a bit then directed his gaze over to Selphie and shouted. "Sefie! Rinoa's here!"

They watched as she hastily spoke something to a group of cadets, before she skipped casually over to them, a serene smile on her face.

"Rin, glad you're here! I was looking all over for ya! You know it's much more fun when my assistant's helping!" Selphie exclaimed.

"I know, and I'm sorry, Selph. I got caught up—"

"Spending time with Squall. Don't worry about it! I think it's soo cute." She squealed.

The raven-haired girl laughed in agreement, amazed at how her friend knew and how she had that natural ability to instantly put anyone at ease. "Isn't it?" She dreamily sighed.

Irvine just watched the exchange in amusement. "Alright ladies, now isn't it time we got back to work?" He placed his arms around both girls.

Selphie jumped back into hyper mode without missing a beat. "Right! Time to get back into party planning, people!" She grabbed the megaphone on a nearby chair and again raised it to her mouth. "OK, that's enough for break! Now I wanna see some action, booyaka!"

And everyone scurried off to their duties.

* * *

Rinoa trudged back to her room, flushed and exhausted after taking a long jog around the Garden with Angelo, who was feeling a lot better now that he had an opportunity to run about in the fresh air. Pausing to take out the key card out of her black drawstring pants pocket, she swiped it through and unlocked the door stepping inside. Angelo ran back to his usual spot by the bed and lied down, wagging his tail happily. Rinoa flopped backwards on the bed; her eyes stared at the ceiling while she reflected on yesterday's events.

Once she had finished overseeing the arrangements of the multi-colored lights decorated around the ballroom, Selphie shooed her away and insisted that she get some rest, noting how tired she seemed and that everything else would be taken care of. After some protests, Rinoa eventually obliged and made her way to the cafeteria for a snack.

She couldn't help but wonder why she was let off early, but those thoughts were easily replaced by something else that bothered her. By that time, Squall had already found her before he departed for Esthar and after a few hugs and kisses, promised her he'd be back as soon as possible. As sad as she was, she forced back the wave of disappointment that came over her, then simply smiled and told him goodbye, all the while secretly wanting to just reach out a hand and pull him back to stop him from leaving.

That was yesterday, and she hadn't heard from him until he called her earlier in the morning where he apologized and told her that he wouldn't be able to return as quickly as he thought.

She sighed, pushing her sweaty bangs away from her forehead and glanced at the clock above her dresser. 6:30pm.

The dance wouldn't begin until eight, but her friends had wanted to get together to have dinner an hour earlier. She was looking forward to it honestly, the company of her friends would definitely lift her spirits and afterwards, she was sure to enjoy herself at the dance.

'_Oh, who am I fooling? It's not the same without Squall there.'_

Well, unless he shows up in time, but who's to say that would happen?

Rinoa sat up, with a new sense of vigor and resolve. "Alright, I'm tired of letting this get me down. Just because Squall's not here doesn't mean I have to let this birthday go to waste, right Angelo?"

Angelo lifted his head and barked in response.

She nodded for reassurance and smiled. She got up off the bed and walked over to the bathroom. It was time to get ready.

------------

The reddish pink tint of the sun's light surrounding Balamb had just begun to fade into the horizon when the raven-haired woman had lightly stepped onto the hallways of Garden. Her slinky creamy-white, halter dress perfectly captured the gracefulness and maturity of her body, as it clung to her like a second glove. Complete with matching white high heels and a pair of pearl earrings, it added a nice touch to her natural beauty. Her black hair, nicely brushed, was hanging loosely down her back scented with the rich smell of vanilla.

Just when she began to decide where to meet Selphie, she didn't realize that someone was calling her from behind. Rinoa turned to see Irvine dressed to the nines, his long, wavy brown hair locks complementing his token brown, cowboy hat along with the tuxedo, making him look even more dashing than usual. Lady-killer, indeed.

"Hey Rinoa, don't you look gorgeous tonight." Giving her a quick once-over, he tipped his hat and flashed a charming grin her way.

"Why thanks, Irvine. You don't look so bad yourself." She looked around, curiously. "I thought Selphie was with you. Are the others there yet?"

"That's why I was trying to find you. She sent me here to get you because she needed help with carrying some boxes up to the ballroom, and she said you knew where to find them."

'_She must mean the ones in the supply closet.'_ Rinoa didn't stop to think why she would need them at this time, however. "Yeah, I do. I'll just stop by there and pick them up then."

Before she could move, Irvine rested his hand on her shoulder. "No need. I could do that for you."

"It's alright, you don't have to-"

"It's fine. Now, let's go, come on."

Rinoa smiled at him in appreciation and followed after him.

Once they had enough, they took the elevator to reach the ballroom.

"I don't wanna be late for dinner." Rinoa stated as she smoothed down her dress. "We better hurry up before they start to worry."

"Relax, they won't be. I'm sure about it."

The elevator dinged as they reached their destination and walked out.

Irvine still holding the boxes, stepped to the side. "After you."

Rinoa pushed open the huge doors only to find the room enshrouded in darkness. "Are the lights supposed to be off? What's-"

"SURPRISE!!"

The lights immediately illuminated the entire room, where to Rinoa's great shock, almost everyone in Garden happened to be standing right in front of her, beaming with excitement. And right smack dab in the middle of it were Zell, Quistis and Selphie all dressed up in formal wear, wearing big grins surrounding a table with a long rectangular-shaped cake, the red icing boldly spelled out "Happy 19th birthday Rinoa!"

Rinoa's jaw dropped about ten feet to the floor, flabbergasted and speechless of the display before her. A hand pushed her forward making her walk forward a few steps.

"Hehe, fooled you, didn't we?" Irvine whispered as he passed her to join his friends standing at the center, giving a high-five to Zell who let out a whoop.

"Come on Rinoa, say something!" Selphie exclaimed, looking attractive in her green baby-doll dress that stopped at about her knees. She clapped excitedly at her friend's stunned reaction. Echoes of laughter reverberated throughout the room at the sorceress' inability to utter a single sound.

"I- I honestly don't know what to say…. I don't understand… how did you do all this? This was all decorated for the dance, wasn't it?" She asked, puzzled yet still in amazement.

"It was pretty simple, actually. We figured, what better way to throw you off track than organizing your own surprise birthday party right in front of you without you knowing about it! So we made sure to tell you it was a spring dance and worked on it in secret! Of course, it helped that you "snuck" off almost every time." She winked, causing a slight blush to appear on Rinoa's face. "So it ended up working perfectly to our advantage! Tee-hee!"

Rinoa couldn't do anything but just laugh at the craziness of it all. "Wow, Selph, everyone… thank you so much for this. You really got me, and honestly, I'm touched at how much effort you put into keeping this for me." Several "awws" erupted from the crowd, which eventually turned into more cheers.

Selphie held up a wireless microphone. "That's coz we love ya, Rin. Alright, people. You know what time it is! Time to par-tay! Start the music!" She exclaimed as she ran over to the band.

"You should've seen your face, Rinoa! It was priceless!" Zell exclaimed as he gave Rinoa a fierce bear hug causing her to smile.

"Definitely one for the pictures," Quistis added, slightly chuckling as she also gave her a tight hug. "Happy birthday." She whispered.

"Thanks Zell, Quistis. I really can't believe you guys were all in on this!" Rinoa said, as tears filled up her eyes. Words couldn't express how appreciative she was at the lengths they went through to pull this off.

"Aw, Rin. Don't cry. We just wanted to give you the best birthday." Zell grinned. "I'm gonna go look for Kat. She's supposed to be here soon. Enjoy yourself though!" His spiked blond hair was the last thing they saw as he sprinted off into the crowd.

An instinctive feeling rose up within her at that moment, her eyes automatically started scanning the room as if she expected Squall to suddenly jump out of nowhere and surprise her.

"Looking for a certain commander?"

Rinoa jumped a little, forgetting that Quistis was beside her. "Oh no, I was just uh, admiring that banner at the ceiling. It looks so pretty." She said weakly, knowing that it sounded lame even to her own ears.

Quistis smiled sympathetically. "You know that he'd be here if he could. He cares for you very much."

She glanced up at her friend, grateful for her kind words. "I know. I just can't help but miss him."

A rush of compassion for the cheery girl flowed through the blonde, as she knew that she wouldn't have to worry about Squall once Rinoa remained with him. He had found his saving grace.

Quistis put on her biggest smile. "And I'm sure he misses you too, even though he'd never admit that. Now no moping, this is your party after all. We're supposed to celebrate, aren't we?"

Rinoa giggled. "You're right, Quistis. And you especially need to show off your fantastic self to these poor guys." She complimented, as she admired the silky black spaghetti-strap dress her friend had on, giving her an older appearance. "Speaking of… what ever happened to that _secret admirer_?" She asked coyly.

Quistis chortled in reply. "I don't know, and I don't think I want to find out either." She honestly answered, still thinking that Trevor's probably lurking around the place.

"Well, whoever he is, I hope he's the one who makes you happy someday, Quistis." Sincerity could be heard in Rinoa's voice and seen in her warm eyes.

The blonde smiled and gave Rinoa another hug. "Thank you." _I hope so too._

_----------------  
_

Hours passed by as the party was heavily in full swing with people chatting merrily about, while couples lit up the ballroom floor dancing freely to the band's music and without a care in the world.

That is, except one person. Rinoa sat at a nearby table, a glass of wine in front of her as she morosely stared out at the people dancing. So much for having fun.

Not only was she missing Squall desperately, she couldn't help but be worried about him at the same time. She couldn't blame like him like she did before, she knew it wasn't his fault but still…

'_God, what's wrong with me? I must sound ungrateful… my friends went to all this trouble organizing a surprise birthday party for me and all I can do is sit here moping and thinking about Squall…'_

It wasn't fair to her friends, she realized but at least everyone else was having a blast though. She did too at first, laughing with her friends, greeting other people who passed, like Cid and Edea, looking both refined and glamorous gave her warm wishes. Zone and Watts were also somewhere around the place as well, with the latter probably avoiding the liquor trays… and even Seifer showed up, which was a sort of joke in itself.

Her ex-boyfriend who betrayed Garden, became Ultimecia's puppet and even tried to _kill_ her, not to mention Squall's longtime rival, had the time to acknowledge the day of her birth. Yes, life was funny sometimes.

But he had changed. He came back to Garden a few weeks ago, a broken man in need of redemption. Cid taken pity upon him – much to Squall's initial displeasure -and assigned him under the care of Quistis who was supposed to 'whip' him into shape. And of course, they had to spend a lot of time together. Rinoa smiled a little to herself as she thought about what she witnessed earlier between them.

* * *

Seifer swaggered through the crowds, his slicked back blond hair glinted from the lights as he made his way over to where another blonde happened to be standing. Her blue eyes appeared dull and lifeless, as she listened to some cadet blabber on and on about her looking like a goddess. He stopped directly in front of them. 

"Well, pleasant night, isn't it, instructor?" He smirked as he grabbed a glass of alcohol off a table behind them and drank it down in one gulp.

"I didn't think you were one for social gatherings, Seifer." Quistis retorted, remaining poised as usual.

"On the contrary, I'm always the life of the party." He quipped, as he towered over her.

Meanwhile, the Trepie known as Trevor was still openly gawking at the beautiful instructor in awe, who had now become a bit uncomfortable with all the attention, when Seifer noticed this.

"Alright, now don't you have something better to do with your time? Run along now." He said casually, waving his hand at him dismissively.

Trevor turned to Seifer in surprise. "But you-"

In disgust, Seifer cut him off before he could finish. "I said, beat it Trepie!" The shout caused him to step back in alarm, spilling his champagne all over himself. Looking embarrassed, he scurried off.

Seifer laughed raucously, bending over. Quistis, looking incredulous, faced the arrogant gunblader.

"Seifer! There was no need for that! Did you not learn _anything_ from what I've taught you or has it all escaped your mind already?" She hissed at him.

The former knight just quirked an eyebrow and casually waved his hand at her. "Relax already. Besides, I thought he was getting on your nerves, or maybe you always have that uptight look every time a guy talks to you?" He smiled as her cheeks began to flush.  
"Yeah, see? You know I did you a favor."

"That attitude was still uncalled for. I really thought you had changed but I guess not." She sighed. "Maybe I don't deserve this teaching license…"

Seifer cleared his throat as he folded his arms. "Don't say that. You've done more for me than anyone has these past few weeks, and I'm…grateful for that, even if I haven't shown it. And look at Puberty boy, for example. He learned from the best, didn't he?"

A smile tugged at her lips.

He stepped closer to her, his voice sounding more serious. "And for what it's worth, you look beautiful tonight… Quistis." She stared up into his face in shock, speechless. He leaned towards her ear and whispered. _"All the stars in heaven couldn't compare to the ones in your eyes."_ Seifer then gave her a genuine smile and walked off in the other direction.

A gasp rose from Quistis' lips as she was unable to move for a couple of seconds. When she came to and watched him from afar, a startling revelation came to her causing her heart to pound and blush madly.

'_No…the whole time, it couldn't have been… Seifer?!'  
_

* * *

Rinoa put down her third glass of wine, feeling tired but not wanting to show it. She was asked to dance several times by some male SeeDs but politely refused, not wanting to offend them but also not feeling in the mood to do so. It just didn't feel right.

Sure, she danced with a big group, one that consisted of Zell, his girlfriend Kat, Selphie, Irvine- but dancing with some random guy was different. Not like when she and Squall first danced…

'_OH STOP IT, just STOP thinking about him already! He's NOT coming tonight, Rinoa! Get over it!'_

She couldn't help it, she missed everything about him. Yes, she was that much in love, to the point where it now became unbearable to be apart from him for a long period of time. She sighed pathetically to herself.

She didn't know how much time had passed. Eventually, murmurs could be heard from several people, some were even whispering excitedly. But Rinoa ignored them, still occupied with her thoughts.

She then felt a presence behind her, she couldn't explain how she knew but she did.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for the prettiest girl here. Would you like to dance?" A polite deep yet familiar voice asked.

Her ears perked up suddenly. Rinoa's heart panged at hearing those words, but thinking she was probably hearing things or maybe she drank too much wine, she was unsure of what she felt, so she kept her face forward.

"Ok then, look into my eyes." The stranger walked right in front of her and kneeled down to her eye level, where at this point, her heart raced faster as she looked directly into the face of a handsome young man with a scar across the bridge of his nose, into the blue-gray eyes that twinkled back at her and ones that could see into her soul. The face of the man she loved.

"You're-going-to-like-me. You're-going-to-like-me. Did it work?" He finished, breaking into a beautiful smile that completely changed his features.

Rinoa let out a sound that was a mixture between a sob and a laugh as she nodded shakily.

Squall, dressed and looking incredibly handsome in his SeeD uniform, stood back up and gently took her hand lifting her out of her seat. Unable to hold back any longer, she jumped up and embraced him tightly.

He hugged her back, his hand stroking her back tenderly.

"Rinoa, I'm so sorry I came back late, I-"

"Shhh… It's ok. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

They both pulled back to smile at each other, while the crowd that was watching them went into rounds of whistles and catcalls at the couple. Both Squall and Rinoa were so caught up in the moment, they forgot where they were. Startled by the sudden noise, she smiled weakly while Squall tried his best to hide his embarrassment.

Rinoa was too giddy with excitement to care though. This was by far the best birthday she has ever had and one she won't forget anytime soon.

----------

"Squall, you've been practicing, haven't you?" Rinoa asked breathlessly, as she walked off the dance floor with her left arm linked with his.

Squall tried to appear emotionless. "Maybe."

"Don't think I don't have ways of finding out." Rinoa mischievously stated, causing him to chuckle.

Tired, they both found their way towards the balcony gazing up at the night sky that glistened with little diamonds. The two stood close beside one another, letting the breeze them.

Rinoa then spoke. "I really thought you weren't coming."

Squall turned to her, a small smile appeared. "Come on, did you really think I'd miss your birthday?"

A sparkle shone in her eyes. "It sure seemed that way at first, but never mind that. I'm still waiting for my present." She joked, clasping her hands behind her back.

Squall looked down at the ground for a minute, as if thinking or waiting. He then cleared his throat nervously as he looked back at Rinoa, uncertainty and a little bit of fear clearly seen in his eyes.

Rinoa's expression changed into a worried one, wondering why he looked that way all of a sudden. _Was it something I said?_ _About the… present? I was only kidding…_

"Squall, are you feeling alright?"

He hesitated then spoke. "Remember when we were talking yesterday about moving forward, about one day appreciating certain people in our lives?"

The raven-haired girl nodded, thinking back to the conversation about Laguna.

"Well… I think that day has already come." He looked straight into her, unwavering as he took her hand and held it up in his for a moment.

Rinoa just looked at him curiously. Squall was acting a bit off; it was starting to concern her. She decided to let him continue.

She watched as his other hand slipped into his pocket fidgeting with something in his fingers. Then, without warning he slid what looked like an elegant, silver-studded ring onto her finger where it fit perfectly.

The sorceress gasped in shock, unable to believe what just happened. She slowly brought it up to her face admiring it, as tears swelled up from the corners of her eyes.

"Squall… is this-?" She croaked out.

Her knight just gazed at her lovingly, not sure of the right words he could say at this moment that could express all he felt for this woman but also realizing that actions were sometimes louder than words. He learnt that from a wise man earlier.

Instead, he cupped his hand on her cheek caressing it with his thumb, and slowly leaned down to her lips and kissed them. That was all the answer she needed as she kissed him back holding onto him tightly as if she'd never let go.

As the two lovers celebrated their private time together, a shooting star shot across the sky in that instant, sealing their love and future forevermore.

* * *


End file.
